Francis Schaeffer—100? Who can believe it?! Schaeffer (1912-1984) was born 100 years ago on January 30^th. On this special occasion, it’s worth taking a few minutes to remember his important legacy. Many of us were greatly blessed by his life.

Schaeffer was a Presbyterian pastor, then missionary, then apologist, prolific author, evangelist, film maker and activist . He was one of six evangelical leaders (along with Billy Graham, John Stott, J.I. Packer, Carl F. H. Henry, and Martyn Lloyd-Jones) who profoundly shaped the evangelical movement in the second half of the 20^th century.

His life
Francis Schaeffer was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania. As a student he attended Westminster Theological Seminary where he studied under Cornelius Van Til and J. Gresham Machen. He then went to Faith Theological Seminary. Schaeffer had pastorates in Grove City and Chester, Pennsylvania, and also in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1948, he and his wife Edith moved to Switzerland as missionaries. There they later established the community called L’Abri (French for “the shelter”). During the 1960s and 1970s, L’Abri became a study center that attracted thousands of students and professionals from all over the world promoting the relevance of Christian truth. A constant stream of books flowed from both Francis and Edith including: The God Who Is There, Escape From Reason, He is There He is Not Silent, Art and the Bible, The Mark of the Christian, Pollution and the Death of Man, How Should We Then Live: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, Whatever Happened to the Human Race, Death in the City, L’Abri, What is a Family, The Tapestry, A Christian Manifesto, etc..

His influence
I first encountered Francis Schaeffer’s books as a high school student. Here’s what impressed me.

First, Schaeffer understood the times. He began talking about “great, titanic shifts” taking place in the second half of the 20^th century when few others were even aware of it. From his European vantage point he saw the suffocating effects of post war Western materialism. He also realized that the Christian base of Western society was being quickly eroded, and that this would have immense consequences. He tried to describe how the modern world came to distance itself from the God of the Bible, and how, in this rejection, our society began to lose contact with reason, reality and even our own humanness.

Schaeffer saw that a new secular, post Christian materialistic humanism would take our culture in a very different direction—abortion on demand was only an early manifestation. Modernity, he said, had thrown away Christian theology and in so doing we have thrown away the possibility of what our forebearers had as the basis for morality and law.

Second, Francis Schaeffer believed in truth and made truth understandable to average lay people. He introduced us to many different philosophers and world views and helped us catch the broad currents of Western philosophy.

But Schaeffer also knew the power of truth. He understood that a new subjective view of truth was emerging. He insisted that God created us in his image and has spoken to us—hence we have a groundwork for knowing truth. As the idea of truth was being relativized, Schaeffer talked about “true truth” and truth spelled with a capital “T.” Yet Schaeffer wasn’t content to simply argue for truth, he went further saying that Biblical Christianity provides a unified answer for the whole of life. And that truth is ultimately found in Jesus Christ. Discovering Christ and his truth leads us back to freedom and dignity.

Third, I learned about the Lordship of Christ from Schaeffer. Raised in a pietistic Christian tradition, I grew up living in two worlds. There was the very important spiritual and religious world. And then there was everything else. That “everything else” did not seem all that important to me…..until “Schaeffer came into my life.” Schaeffer understood the sweeping implications of the lordship of Christ. He had a reformed, and ultimately Biblical vision of the wholeness of life. Schaeffer once said that if he had a common unifying theme it was “the Lordship of Christ in the totality of life.” If Christ is indeed Lord, he is lord of spiritual matters, but just as much, he is lord across the whole spectrum of life—including the areas of culture, law and government.

This opened up a whole new world for many of us. We saw that culture matters. Literature, ideas, art, music, painting and film all of a sudden became interesting to us. This unconventional theologian with his gotee and knickers helped us make connections. For me, he expanded my view of Christ, but also sparked a kind of Christian liberal arts revolution in my mind. Many of us now wanted to “think Christianly” about, not just Christian things, but about everything.

Fourth, Francis Schaeffer was prophetic. In understanding the immense forces shifting western culture, he issued prophetic books and films affirming the dignity of human beings based on Biblical values. He was actually articulating the vision of a Christian humanism, though I don’t recall him ever using that phrase. Consequently, Francis Schaeffer became one of the first evangelical Protestants to speak out on the abortion issue. When Southern Baptists and some northern evangelicals were silent, or even going along with the liberalizing tendencies, Schaeffer thundered that abortion and euthanasia were not just Roman Catholic issues (even though Catholics were speaking out about these issues first) but they were life issues that should concern all Christians. In his book and film series What Ever Happened to the Human Race, Schaeffer called on evangelicals to join the pro-life movement.

Schaeffer was also one of the first to see the rise of a new statism that was beginning to challenge religious freedom. At the end of his life he believed that statism was actually one of the greatest problems facing America.

Consequently, Schaeffer called evangelicals to move away from their preoccupation with personal peace and affluence. He called them to a new social activism that did not neglect the gospel, or confuse the kingdom of God with a social agenda, but that refused to be content with a privatized Christianity. He called evangelicals to a co-belligerency with other groups (such as Roman Catholics) but in a way that did not promote deep alliances or compromise Biblical convictions.

Fifth, with all his outspokenness and advocacy, Schaeffer insisted that it was not just truth that mattered but also love. The mark of the Christian, he said, must be love. He understood that Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is very ugly. I suspect he said this because he saw a lot of ugly Christianity while growing up.

Where are you Francis Schaeffer?
Reflecting on Schaeffer’s influence in my own life, I can’t help but think that the American church still needs his voice, especially in the election year of 2012. The same huge historical currents are still at work. Many Christians are passive about our society and stuck in what Chuck Colson calls a “spiral of silence.” And in our polarized society, many Christians have lost that important balance that Schaeffer prized—the balance of truth and love.

Fact is, it has been 28 years since Schaeffer’s death, and we still need him.

Some have inaccurately cast Schaeffer as a a dominionist, theonomist or Christian reconstructionist. He was not.

Of course, Francis Schaeffer had his flaws. His son says he was sometimes impatient, angry and depressed. I reply—who hasn’t been, especially in his line of work! Also, in Schaeffer’s concern to highlight sweeping historical trends, he sometimes got details wrong. But then, that happens to most of us who write and try to grasp the big picture.

Schaeffer was the first to admit that he needed the righteousness of another—which is why he never gave up on his Biblical and reformed convictions.

As we reflect on his life and remember what he was, we dare not forget what has happened since Francis Schaeffer’s departure. Because today, along with all who die in Christ, he is glorified. What he saw through a glass dimly, he now more clearly understands. In the presence of his savior, he knows present glory and unimaginable joy. What is more—the world he longed for is on its way.

For more information on Francis Schaeffer, read the Crossway biography written by Colin Duriez–Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life

While you were winding down for the weekend, a group of Presbyterians were winding up in Orlando.  This past weekend, a new Presbyterian denomination was formed.  From January 18-20 approximately 2,100 Presbyterians gathered at the Fellowship of Presbyterians Covenanting Conference.  Over 500 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations were represented (of the 10,600  congregations in that denomination).  Most of those in the room covenanted to form a “new reformed body” and  join the new denomination called The Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO for short).   This is not to say that all who attended immediately joined.  While many were resolved to leave, some are still deciding, and some will stay within the PC (USA) and maintain a joint affiliation.

Distinctives
The distinctive of the ECO will be a commitment to growing and planting flourishing churches and nurturing leaders for gospel ministry.  They will have a flatter polity system than the PC (USA) to promote this mission.

The following were listed in materials distributed as a brief summary of the values of the ECO:
1          Jesus-shaped identity (in which the essential question has to do with whether one is actually a disciple of Jesus).
2        Biblical integrity (in which the essential issue is whether the unique and absolutely authoritative Scriptures actually define our identity).
3          Thoughtful theology (in which Reformed theological education is treasured).
4     Accountable community (in which churches are communities where guidance is actually a corporate spiritual experience).
5       Egalitarian Ministry (in which the spiritual gift of both genders and all racial and ethnic groups are “unleashed”).
6     Missional Centrality (in which the church “lives out” the whole of the Great Commission, “including evangelism, spiritual formation, compassion and redemptive justice”).
7         Center-focused spirituality (in which the church calls people to the core of what it means to follow Jesus and “does not fixate on the boundaries”).
8          Kingdom vitality (by which the church actively reproduces missional communities).

Why now?
Not wanting to emphasize the negative, opening plenary speaker John Ortberg said that “the problem is not that our denomination is dying, but that people are going to hell.”  So he called the crowd to put more emphasis on what they are moving “to” than what they are moving “from.”   The leaders tried to speak well of the PC(USA) in its deliberations.  But under the surface everyone knew that profound issues were tearing the denomination apart and that the liberalizing PC(USA )was moving in a direction that made it impossible for many to stay. The recent move in the PC(USA) to change ordination standards allowing the ordaining of gay pastors, deacons and elders was the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.”  Beyond this, ECO leaders want to reaffirm the truthfulness of the Bible and belief in Christ as the only way of salvation.

Talking to the average attendee, you could hear the longing for simple Christian orthodoxy. They were not always sure of the reformed part, but they longed for a denomination that reaffirmed Christian basics.   Many pastors I spoke with said that the PC(USA) has been  too consumed with internal conflict and bureaucracy to nurture healthy congregations.  They said they are tired of fighting battles which distract them from the ministry and mission of the church.

Some admitted that they believe their old domination is slowly dying.  Though still the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, the PC(USA) lost more than 500,000 members between 1998 and 2009).

Another turning point in Presbyterian history
Allow me to shed some historical light on yet another turning point in Presbyterian history. First, we can now add another P to the famous “split P’s of American Presbyterianism.”   We have the PCUSA, the PCA, the EPC, the OPC, the ARP, and now we have ECO, (but in truth it is ECOP!).   My Egyptian Presbyterian friend said, “my job just got harder, the more you guys split, the more meetings I have to attend when I come to America.”  Another conference goer said to me, “they’ve adopted a curiously unmissional name with an extremely trendy acronym.”

Name aside, the formation of ECO is yet another indication that Machen was right long ago.  There seemed to be a strange unawareness at the Fellowship gathering of how this fits into the wider picture of Presbyterian history.

Back in 1923, J. Gresham Machen, Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary wrote his famous book Christianity and Liberalism. Machen wrote as an orthodox Christian and a confessional Presbyterian. Machen’s classic defense of Biblical Christianity established the importance of Scriptural doctrine and contrasts the teachings of liberalism and orthodoxy on– God, man, the Bible, Christ, salvation and the church.  He criticized those who embraced tolerance more than truth, and Jesus as example more than his redeeming work.  He contrasted the popular non-doctrinal, non-supernatural religion with historic Christianity.

That same year, the Auburn Affirmation came out, a document signed by 1274 of the denomination’s leaders. Appearing at the height of the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy, the affirmation denied the Bible’s inerrancy.  It declared that five  fundamental doctrines, previously declared by the General Assembly to be “necessary and essential” were now non-essentials.  They were “theories” that should not be used as tests of ordination.  Those five doctrines included—the inerrancy of the Bible (in the originals), the virgin birth of Christ, substitutionary atonement, bodily resurrection, and the historical reality of Christ’s miracles.   The Auburn Affirmation was affirmed by the General Assembly in 1926.  Many believe it was a decisive moment in the mainline denomination that accelerated a decline in membership and a lethal slide away from orthodox Christianity.

Machen knew what was brewing in this controversy, and so became a catalytic leader for starting a new seminary (Westminster Theological Seminary founded in 1929) and a new denomination (the Orthodox Presbyterian church founded in 1936).

Machen understood the consequences of abandoning the truthfulness and supreme authority of the Bible.  When you downgrade the Bible, the door is open to go anywhere.  Churches drift and become deformed.  Unless they become reformed, they fade away.

The story of American Presbyterianism since that time is one of the groups in the mainline gradually coming to the realization that Machen was right.  The OPC did in 1936.  The PCA did in 1973.  The EPC did in 1980.  And now the ECO follows the same path.  They too have had enough.

Before those of us who are not in the ECO get too picky about this feature or that feature of this emerging denomination, we all need to consider the state of American Presbyterianism.

Statistically, all is not well. As John R. Muether and D.G. Hart point out in Turning Points in American Presbyterian History, statistically the history of American Presbyterianism is a narrative of decline (http://www.opc.org/nh.html?article_id=326). In 1776, Presbyterians were roughly 25% of the American population.  Now, some 236 years later, Presbyterians make up less than 2% of the American population.

More than ever, all franchises of Presbyterians need to get their house in order, reevaluate the health of their churches and the effectiveness of their denominational machinery.  In a new post Christian climate, we need to be both missional and confessional.  We need to engage in evangelization, church planting, church revitalization as never before.  And…..we need to make sure we are teaching and guiding our own covenant children so that we do not lose them on the way.

Right now, the ECO is in the early, messy stage of being born.  But when you realize the context of where we are as a church, you might want to pause, and give thanks for a new group that says it desires to faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, and take evangelism, theology, discipleship, church planting,  and missional living seriously.

The ECO is not for everyone, but watching those pastors stand with courage and covenant together, I can only wish them well.

Below is a video Dr. Gendy showed detailing the current issues in Egypt.

By the way, a seminary (sometimes called a divinity school or theological college) prepares pastors and teachers and Christian leaders for ministry.  It also provides graduate education in Christian studies for lay people who want to think Christianly about their vocations.  The last I heard, there are over 250 seminaries in North America.  Some 70 of which are evangelical, (accounting for 50,000 students).

Here is the deep and fairly unknown secret.  You might think that seminary presidents are so “into” their own schools or are so deeply divided that they never talk to each other.  Not so.   Many of these leaders actually meet together once a year, not for business, but for fellowship, encouragement, conversation and prayer.  It is a gathering called FESP—The Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary Presidents.  This week I attended FESP for my second time.

Let me tell you why this particular group of leaders is worth thinking about.  First, these presidents and their schools have been entrusted with the mission of preserving and propagating the gospel.  They lead efforts to teach the Word of God and promote Biblical wisdom which we desperately need in North America.  This is not to say they are all doing a great job at this.  But they do have a huge influence on the spiritual formation of the next generation of church leaders and on the direction of the church.

FESP started in 1976 when the presidents of Trinity, Gordon-Conwell, Bethel and Fuller thought it would be good to talk to each other.  Brilliant idea!  Now-a-days each gathering has about 40 plus schools represented in any given year.  They come with their spouses.  Some of these leaders come from the academic world, some come from the business world, and some come from the church.  They represent the broad spectrum of the evangelical world that can embrace the confessional standards of the Lausanne Covenant.

FESP is a “collaborative fellowship committed to encouraging, supporting and nurturing one another in ministry.”  And do we ever need support! To quote the FESP Information Booklet, “the schedule most presidents keep is exhausting . . . . The presidency is also a lonely position in many ways—bearing budgets, faculty, students, donors, etc. Isolation often leads to frustration and stress.  FESP offers a venue for presidents to meet together, develop friendships, and share common struggle sand successes.”

Add to this that seminary presidents carry the weight of the institutions they represent. These leaders get shot at from all sides, yet they have a trust from the Lord to be faithful.  They have an obligation to stay close to and to serve the church.  And they exert great influence in shaping the theological discussions of our day.

So FESP offers an opportunity for this group of leaders to meet face to face and get to know each other away from the publicity machines.  It is a forum where leaders “check their egos and logos at the door” and meet as Christians who are trying to serve the Lord and his church.

Truth be told, the first time I went, I half expected to meet a lot of large ego leaders.  But that was not the case.  After meeting, you realize that every one of them feels the excitement of serving the Lord, the challenge of leading seminaries in this decade, and the pressures of intense spiritual warfare.

Someone said that when you teach a seminary student, you are teaching not just a student, but many congregations.  Each student represents hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of people.  You could also say that each seminary president will influence many, many thousands of people due to the very nature of leadership training.  For that reason they need our prayers.

If you have read this far and care about this kind of thing, let me close by suggesting how you might pray for those who lead our Christian graduate schools.

1          Pray that they be faithful to Christ, and unwavering in their commitment to the truth of the gospel and the Scriptures.  Yet pray that they and their schools stay open and flexible to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
2          Pray for wisdom as they influence the discussions and direction of the church in North America.  Pray that their lives would be characterized by both the grace and truth of the Lord.
3          Pray that they stay close to the church, so they can serve her and her leaders well.
4          Pray for spiritual protection for them and their families.  Like pastors, these leaders have large targets on their backs.  Many of the leaders I spent time with this past week feel under attack.

Would it surprise you if they were?  As Paul wrote, “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm” (Ephesians 6.12).

That’s part of the secret lives of seminary presidents we  seldom think about.

Events:  This Spring will be filled with political primaries and caucuses in the US.  Rio de Janeiro will host another large UN conference on sustainable development in June.  Sometime early summer the US Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of the individual mandate of Obamacare.  In July and August, all eyes will be on London for the summer Olympics.  In the US, the Republican Convention takes place in Tampa in August.  The Democrats meet in Charlotte in September.  Election Day comes in November.  And on December 21, according to an ancient Mayan calendar, the world is supposed to end. (One year Harold Camping, now it’s the Mayans!)

Anniversaries: Adoniram Judson was ordained as America’s first missionary 200 years ago (February).  The Titanic was launched 100 years ago (March).  This will be the 50^th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that reciting prayer in public school violated the First Amendment (June).  It will also be the 60 year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign (June).  Francis Schaeffer and Pope John Paul were born 100 years ago!  Bob Dylan and the Beatle’s first single came out 50 years ago!  It is the 50^th anniversary of the death of Marilyn Monroe—not that I care, but it will be talked about.  It is also the 50^th anniversary of Vatican II.  J.R. Tolkien’s children’s novel the Hobbit was published 75 years ago (September) and will be celebrated by a blockbuster film in December.  It is the 500^th anniversary of Michelangelo finishing his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  It will also be the 1700^th anniversary of Constantine’s historic battle at the Milvian bridge.

A year of elections, leadership changes and discipleship opportunities:            There will be presidential elections in Taiwan (Jan 14), Russia (March 4), France (April 22), Mexico (July 1), Kenya (Aug 14), Venezuela (Oct 7), China (October), and the US (Nov 6).  In each country people will be looking for a political messiah (without actually using that word).

The presidential campaign in the US will be the most expensive ever.  It will also be one of the most extremely negative and polarizing campaigns in a long time.  That is because huge ideas are at stake and America is at a tipping point.  Also, because of new laws, super PACS will be pouring more money into it than never.  The time for churches to address key election issues, to get its people to think Christianly, and to underscore the Christian duty to participate and vote, is not in October, but this Spring!

The Conventional Wisdom on Economic Rebounds? Many news-heads are saying the worst of the Great Recession is over.  Besides, this is a presidential year and conventional wisdom is that all levers are pulled to make it look like things are getting better.  But conventional wisdom could be easily threatened this year by the deepening European debt crisis, or the deepening American debt crisis, or the dithering of politicians, or by some regional war that upsets the entire applecart.  There will be more talk about budget austerity which will affect the way we do business, run local governments, non-profits and churches.

What is wrong with the economy?  Conservatives say it is a matter of needing more tax cuts. Liberals want more cash stimulus.  But both solutions are somewhat short sighted.  The global market place is changing.  It has been hit by the triple whammy of the recession, digital revolution, and global competition.  Emerging economies will for the first time buy over half the world’s imports in 2012.  Software, outsourcing, robotics and international competition are changing the market place.  As I say to my children, “this is not your parent’s job market.”  The recession may end, but these market realities will not go away.  Employers will be more picky than ever in their hiring, looking for people who can add value more than a worker in India, or a robot, or….someone like Siri!

Technology will continue to shape our lives. Siri, the new iPhone personal assistant, will take off and most likely become part of the new iPads, lap tops, and home life, instantly attending to our requests.  This is also the year Facebook goes public, (but continues to go global).  Social media will play an increasing role in our churches and ministries.  Expect other new technologies, like mobile payment capabilities in phones to grow in popularity as well.

All this technological dependence has a downside.  Those born into this digital world are still blind to its short comings.  We do less math in our heads, less memorizing, less imagining, and less interacting with the real people in front of us.  Employers worry that more young people do not know how to interact personally or converse!  For all our hyper-connectivity, many are more lonely and losing touch with non-virtual reality!

Entitlement mentality confronts reality: Europeans have come to expect certain benefits even though these benefits are threatened by unsustainable debt and a shrinking tax base.  But this same mentality is at work in the US.  Some 47% of Americans (the highest ever) now receive federal benefits.  A recent poll of university students revealed they want free health care, free tuition, government provided jobs, and government help with down payments for their houses.  The entitlement mentality says—“I deserve this and the government owes it to me.” Of course, God is marginalized in this outlook.  It is all about our rights.  This mindset brings to the church a new challenge as we try to tell people about grace that we don’t deserve, and as we stress the importance of human responsibility.

The so called Arab Spring increasingly looks like Fall or Winter. The “wind of Arab freedom,” so celebrated in 2011, may look more like an Islamic rising in 2012.  The church in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Jordan (not to mention Iran and Iraq) has been hit really hard.  Many Christians have become victims in this uprising.  While liberals in the West hail these events as the birth of democracy, first rounds of voting seem to favor radical Islamic parties.  Will it turn out that the old autocrats were preferable to the new authoritarian Islamists?  The church in the Middle East thinks so.

A Showdown in the Middle East. It appears that a showdown of some sort will occur in the Middle East this year.  There has been a covert war going on all through the Fall.  Iran is playing a dangerous game that could ensnare the Middle East and others into a war.  According to the US Defense Secretary, Iran is on the verge of creating a nuclear weapon.  They are also using missile power to threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz through which one fifth of the world’s oil passes.  This is on top of its defiance on nuclear technology.  As one of the biggest state sponsors of radical Islam, it would not be surprising if this year, (which incidentally marks the 50^th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis), brings the US into another crisis that is just as hair raising.

The gathering datasmog. A tsunami of data is hitting the digital world.  We will hear more about, not gigabytes and terabytes, but now petabytes, exabytes, zettabytes, and yottabytes. The Economist tells us that 90% of the world’s data has been generated in the last two years.  As the amount of digital data explodes, the need for wisdom increases.  Amidst all the data, we desperately need an eternal, unchanging, substantive, word from God.  The need for Biblical teaching and Christ-centered preaching is greater than ever.

Educational innovation and change. As a follow up to the Lausanne Congress at Cape Town, Evangelical theological educators from around the world will be gathering in May near Boston to talk about the challenges and opportunities of evangelical theological education.  In America, student loan debt has now surpassed credit card debt.  This will spur more innovation in the world of higher education.

Scientific bafflement, but will there be humility?  The CERN experiment has now been re-run with the same astonishing results. Neutrinos fired from a supercollider in Europe are said to have traveled faster than the speed of light.  This was not supposed to happen.  Tests have now been run and reconfirmed.  If these results stand, it will cause a revolution in physics.  The new findings suggest that…..hold on… Einstein was wrong, modern physics was wrong, modern astronomy and cosmology are wrong.  Skeptics still challenge the results.  But some are saying we now need a new physics.  All this tells us that we need to be a bit less arrogant and definitive in concluding that our current understanding of things (be it the origin of man or the universe) is infallible.

Spiritualization of American culture but in non-Christian directions:   This past year saw developments that confirm that American culture is becoming more spiritual, but it is more of a pagan spirituality.  Disney announced plans for a new theme park along the lines of Avatar.  The Air Force Academy added a new worship area for followers of earth centered religions, including paganism, druidism and Wicca.

Along with this, in 2011, the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion and Public Life shared a poll saying that the religious beliefs of Americans are becoming more syncretistic.  Large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices mixing elements of diverse traditions of more than one faith or denomination.  While numerically we are an overwhelmingly Christian country, significant minorities now profess belief in a variety of Eastern or New Age ideas that often get mixed with Christian beliefs.

Graying of the “mainline” and broadening of evangelical churches. An exodus of parishioners and congregations to other denominations continues due to approving the ordination of practicing homosexuals, and waffling on the exclusivity of Christ.  But now comes more bad news.  A recent study from Hartford Seminary reports that “Half of old line Protestant congregations could lose a third of their members in 15 years.”  You just can’t call this the “mainline” anymore.

Evangelicals, on the other hand, show more signs of vitality.  In the US, evangelicalism is still the most dominant expression of Christianity, (not to mention the massive growth of evangelical churches worldwide).  Yet, in spite of signs of vitality, the evangelical movement in the US is broadening as is evidenced by groups and celebrity pastors questioning what have heretofore been common hallmarks of evangelical belief.  Some call us to relinquish a belief in inerrancy.  They say that the Biblical writers were wrong about the world and its origins, that we’ve got it wrong on the doctrine of hell, the virgin birth, blood atonement, and the historicity of Adam.

Schools and businesses distancing themselves from Christianity and redefinitions of religious freedom. We are seeing a growing hostility to the Christian faith in North America.  Following the Supreme Court’s lead in its 2010 decision (Christian Legal Society vs. Martinez), campuses are denying official recognition to Christian organizations because they are too exclusive in insisting on a sexually moral lifestyle.  But it is not just universities.  Major corporations are doing the same thing.  Tom’s Shoes recently distanced itself from Focus on the Family because of pressure from homosexual advocacy groups.  Starbuck’s CEO withdrew from speaking at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit because of the church’s commitment to heterosexual marriage.  Apple removed iTunes apps from Christian groups because of their stand on homosexuality.  Add to this the recent government efforts to limit “freedom of religion” in the US to freedom of worship.  (which denies the freedom for religious expression outside of a worship context).

Some constants. What will 2012 (MMXII), the 2012^th year Anno Domini, hold for us?  Again, no one knows for sure.  Like I said, this survey is extremely selective.  Some of it may be wrong.  No doubt there will be lots of surprises and lots of change.

But amidst all our prognosticating, let’s not forget some constants:
1          The gospel is still the most important news on the planet, and many people have yet to hear the good news of God’s grace in Christ.
2          Every church still has a vital role in proclaiming this gospel and living it out before a watching world.   Every church must be a kingdom outpost.
3          Jesus Christ is still the way the truth and the life
4       God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change…..” Psalm 46.1,2 (NASV)

The turning of a year is a good time to consider our reading and devotional plan for the next twelve months.  The Valley of Vision, a relatively new spiritual classic will definitely add vitality to your prayer life.  The simple exercise of reading a prayer a day (there are about 250 in all) will stretch and deepen you.

The Valley of Vision is a book of prayers drawn from a largely forgotten deposit of Puritan devotional literature.  Its writers were both serious Christians and serious pray-ers.  No names are attached to the individual prayers, but the introduction tells us that the prayers come from those in the Puritan tradition such as Thomas Shepherd, Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, Philip Doddridge, David Brainerd, Charles Spurgeon, etc..

While the authors clearly hold to the doctrines of grace, this is coupled with a passionate love for God, concern for others, longing for heaven, and a fixation on joy!

I will admit my own natural bias against prayer books.  I have often thought that praying someone else’s prayers is like wearing someone else’s shoes—they never fit perfectly.  Besides that, they lack the freedom of extemporaneous prayers.  However, the older I get the more I see how much I still need to grow in the school of prayer.  Deep spiritual mentors like the Puritans can be immensely helpful in learning to pray better.

Besides that, in my extemporaneity, I often get into deep spiritual ruts.  My prayers can become monotonously predictable and dull, lacking definiteness and power.  The Valley of Vision exposes me to great souled people whose very praying challenges me.  They give me prayers to pray for those times that I get stuck, and new models of prayer that add richness to my extemporaneous praying.

Consider the way they address God in prayer.  Their prayers take us beyond a repetitive “dear Lord,” or “God…”  There is variety here in each prayer, addressing him as “Sovereign Lord,” “Life-giving God,” “O God of my delight,” “Merciful God,” “Three in one, one in three,” “God of my salvation,” “O God whose will conquers all,” “Fountain of all goodness,” “O thou incomprehensible but prayer hearing God,” etc..

They understand the depth of our sin.  Consider some of their prayers of confession:
“Move, I pray thee, upon my disordered heart.”  “Sin is my malady, my monster, my foe, my viper, born in my birth, alive in my life, strong in my character, dominating my faculties, following me as a shadow…..”

Their praise is robust and uplifting:   “I bless thee that great sin draws out great grace.” “Thou art beyond the grasp of my understanding, but not beyond that of my love.” “Thou art worthy of an adoration greater than my dull heart can yield;  invigorate my love that it may rise worthily to thee.”

Their prayers speak well of Jesus Christ:  “Grant me never to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the exceeding righteousness of salvation, the exceeding glory of Christ, the exceeding beauty of holiness, and the exceeding wonder of grace.”  “In him the enslaved find redemption, the guilty pardon, the unholy renovation; In him are everlasting strength for the weak, unsearchable riches for the needy, treasures of wisdom and knowledge for the ignorant, fullness for the empty.”

Yet there are prayers to the Holy Spirit as well, asking him to “come as power, as teacher, as love, joy, light, sanctifier, helper and beautifier.”

When they pray they affirm the preciousness of the cross.   “Open for me the wondrous volumes of truth in his ‘it is finished.’ Increase my faith in the clear knowledge of atonement achieved, expiation completed, satisfaction made, guilt done away with, debt paid, my sins forgiven, my person redeemed, my soul saved, hell vanquished, heaven opened, eternity made mine.”   “Show me the cross.”

Their prayers also abound in instructive petition.  They pray with faith—“I ask great things of a great God.”   There is a longing for Christ-likeness—“I wish not so much to do as to be, and I long to be like Jesus.”  They do not want to live blandly—“O God, may I never be a blot or a blank in life.”  They are mindful of the need to preach the gospel to themselves—“Glorious trinity, impress the gospel on my soul.”  They want God’s grace to transform the way they deal with others—“Help me to be a dispenser as well as a partaker of grace.”

They pray with heart—“Be happy in him, O my heart, and in nothing but God….He who is the ground of thy faith, should be the substance of thy joy.”  “Help me to rejoice in my infirmities and give thee praise so that the more feeble I am, the more fit to be used, for thou doest pitch a tent of grace in my weakness.”  “Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips.”  “May my desires be enlarged and my hopes emboldened, that I may honor thee.”

There is a practical urgency in their prayers.  One of the morning prayers ends, “If my life should end today, let this be my best day.”

The Valley of Vision, not only helps us pray better, but see God more clearly, even in life’s valleys.  “Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, thou has brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.  Let me learn by paradox, that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision.  Lord, in the daytime, stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;  Let me find thy light in my darkness, thy life in my death, thy joy in my sorrow, thy grace in my sin, thy riches in my poverty, thy glory in my valley.”

If you are interested in ordering this great devotional tool, you can find The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, ed. Arthur Bennett (The Banner of Truth Trust)  at the following website:  http://mindandheart.com/ProductDetails.aspx?a=0851512283

Well, when someone asks me what I want for Christmas—it’s not food or clothes I ask for.  It’s books!  One of my favorite gifts to give and receive is a good book.

Books fill you up but are never fattening.  They take you to all kinds of interesting places but are cheaper than travel.  They allow you to interact with great minds and souls from different centuries, while sitting in your favorite chair.  They shape the mind, heart and will without badly denting the wallet.  They are still cheap yet can be purchased in varying formats (paper, ebook).

Mortimer Adler once said, “reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.”  I know that  not everybody believes this anymore.  But I do.

This year, as usual, I gave lots of books for Christmas.  I received about ten.  Here are a few of the titles I will be reading in 2012 and why.

The Inklings of Oxford:  C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Their Friends, Harry Lee Poe, First of all, I am a lifelong Lewis fan.  Second, with the Hobbit coming out in 2012, Tolkien will be back in the news.  And third, while a student at Oxford, I lived about twenty feet behind The Eagle and Child pub, where, in their day,  the Inklings met to discuss their essays.

The Fourth Turning:  What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America’s Next Rendezvous With  Destiny, William Strauss and Neil Howe.  Are there patterns in history?  A few friends have been insisting there are.  This book is over ten years old, but I finally got it for Christmas!

Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck, Why Some Thrive, Despite Them All, Collins.  Built to Last, Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall…..Jim Collins on leadership is hard to beat.  This is his newest.

The God who is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story, D.A. Carson.  Carson is one of my favorite New Testament writers.  He writes this book explaining the story line of the Bible for university students unfamiliar with Christianity.  We all need to understand better how the Bible fits together.  Carson will be  of  immense help.

The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World, Stephen J. Nichols;  The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation,  Michael Reeves.  I asked someone to recommend short introduction-like books that summarize the Protestant Reformation.  Here are two of the three I will be reading.

Who Gets to Narrate the World?  Contending for the Christian Story in an Age of Rivals,  Robert E. Webber. Stories shape our world.  The question is, which story will shape it most?  The late Robert Webber believed that the question contained in his title is the most pressing issue of our time.  He surveys the grand narratives that seduce and bind us and calls us to both understand and embody God’s story in the post modern world.

The Resolution For Men, Stephen Kendrick and Randy Alcorn. This is a book that came out of the movie Courageous, written with the passion that many men need to wake up from their prolonged adolescent slumber and resolve to lead their families with integrity.

The Four Seasons: Poems     (Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets)    I love poetry.  And I miss some of the seasons here in Florida.  So if I can’t get them one way, I will get them another!

Goodnight iPad, Ann Droyd. This final book is a spoof on the famous children’s book—Good Night Moon.  Only it is written for people who have iPhones and iPads.   Okay….. it was given to me by my wife and she was making a point!

Like I said, these ten books do NOT comprise my entire reading diet.  But they were given to me this Christmas and I WILL enjoy reading them.  When?  I am not sure.  But let me share a brief story as I close.

In his second term as president, President George W. Bush and senior staffer Karl Rove had a running competition about how many books they could read in a year.  Some years during the Bush presidency they read over 100 books each!

Now, that is amazing!  The leader of the free world, busy as he was, kept reading and clocked over a book a week.

Hey….if he can do that…..with a little discipline, think how you can enrich your life by reading more in 2012.

One of my favorite “obscure” Christmas texts in the Bible is 1 Kings 8.27.  King Solomon had just built the great temple in Jerusalem.  At the dedication, he prayed before the people and said: ²⁷ “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!”   

1 Kings 6 and 7 tell us how Solomon spared no expense in building this palace for God.  Its courts, main hall, inner sanctuary, careful stonework, cedar roof, wooden panels, golden furnishings, made it one of the most magnificent structures of the ancient world.  It was in this sanctuary, with the ark of the covenant at its center, that God would graciously fulfill his promise to live among the Israelites.  The glory of his presence would fill the temple house.

Solomon was no simpleton.  In building this magnificent temple he understood the majesty of God.  He knew that something greater than the temple was filling it.  He realized the absurdity of supposing that God could dwell on earth, let alone in this small house.  For not even the highest heavens could contain him.

By the way, the early Christians who pondered the coming of Christ were no simpletons either.   The message that the Son of God was coming into the world to be born as a baby stretched their categories of understanding.  After hearing what would happen, Mary said “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1.34).  People sometimes say that this incarnation business is hard for moderns to accept.  Well, the truth is, it was hard for ancient people to accept as well.

The early Christians understood that this great God had accommodated himself to us.  After all, he created the earth as a special place in this immense universe.  He had “walked” with Adam and Eve in a garden sanctuary long ago.  He had entered into a special covenant relationship with Israel.  Then in Solomon’s day, his presence filled the temple.  This is where his name would dwell.  In all the world, this temple house would be a unique meeting place for human need and divine mercy.

Solomon was filled with wonder because this was so inconceivable to him!  The one who came into the temple was not only bigger than the temple itself, but bigger than the universe.

The same thing could be said about that stable-cave  in Bethlehem.  In C.S. Lewis’ book The Last Battle, (From the The Chronicles of Narnia series), as the Narnians are being overrun by Calormenes, Lucy and her friends are forced into a stable.  They soon discover that they had actually entered the Narnian heaven.  Lord Digory said with surprise, “Its inside is bigger than its outside!”  To which Queen Lucy replied, “yes, in our world too, a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.” (p. 141)

On the first Christmas eve, Mary and Joseph knew something about the greatness of God. When they realized what was happening, just like Solomon, they were filled with wonder.  The inconceivable had happened.  Divine glory broke open the heavens, and entered a stable house.  The divine Word stepped down, drew near, and lay in Mary’s arms.  Now, something inside the stable was bigger than its outside.

And that would not be the end of the wonder.  For in time, the Son of God would descend even further to the extremity of death on a cross.   Not by accident, mind you, but by divine mission.

Seen in that light, this stable house would also be a meeting place for human need and divine mercy.

In the words of the Nicene Creed, which reflect the New Testament, this divine visitor is the one “Who for us men and our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.”   The creed goes on “and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according the Scriptures, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.”

So it turns out that the glory in Solomon’s temple house not only sheds light on the incarnation, but sheds light on life and Christmas itself.   That unexplainable magic that we sense at  Christmas is not just our imagination.  It is a hint of his presence.  And when he is present, when we invite him into our situations, everything changes.

May the unexpected joys of his presence be yours this season.

He was, literally, a great uncle. When I think of him three words come to mind. He was kind. He was steady. And he was courageous. Let me comment on this last word—courageous.

A few years back, he visited our home in Colorado and I got him to tell my teenage boys about his military service during World War II, in Europe. Uncle Wally was part of that “greatest generation” that we sometimes hear about. In the war, he was an infantry leader serving with distinction in the 71^st Infantry Division of the Army. He was a decorated hero—two battle stars, a Bronze star, etc..

One story he told us stood out above all. In 1944, he helped liberate a death camp run by the Nazis, filled with 18,000 Hungarian Jews. It was called Gunskirchen Lager, the central Nazi concentration camp in Austria.

His division did not know the camp existed. They literally “stumbled upon it.” As they got near, a strange smell warned them of the grim realities they were about to see. The large camp, surrounded by barbed wire, was filled with the intellectual class of Hungarian Jews—doctors, lawyers, and professors, whose lives were now reduced to an animal existence.

Words and photos cannot express the full horror and barbarity of it all. As he approached the camp he saw emaciated stragglers with skeleton-like frames, in stripped uniforms crying for “wasser” because they had no food or water for five days.

The camp was littered with the bodies of those the Nazis had starved and worked to death, as seen in the photo above.

The living were begging for food. Some who could walk, crowded around to touch the American soldiers to make sure they were real. They would kiss the hands of the embarrassed, nauseated Yanks. Some of the prisoners who could not walk, crawled toward them. Those who could not crawl, propped themselves up on elbows through their pain, and revealed eyes of gratitude and joy at the arrival of their liberators.

Uncle Wally and his unit reported back to call in immediate medical help. One of his fellow soldiers said, “the day I saw Gunskirchen Lager, I finally knew what I was fighting for and what the war was all about.”

My uncle did not talk much about this experience, until recent years, because some people are now claiming that the Holocaust never happened. This made my kind uncle fightin’ mad.

Uncle Wally’s story, of course, is deeply moving. But as we celebrated the life of this “death camp liberator,” who has now died, it struck me that this liberator himself needed to be liberated from death—as do we all. Each of us reading this, are in fact, “living in the land of the shadow of death.”

Year end magazines are filled with pages listing the famous people who died in 2011—Jackie Cooper, Jane Russell, Elizabeth Taylor, Steve Jobs, Betty Ford, Joe Frazier, Christopher Hitchens, Osama Bin Laden, Kim Jong Il, Mummar Qaddafi, Vaclav Havel, Duke Snider, Harmon Killebrew, John Stott, etc.. There are also the lesser-knowns, like the famine victims of Somalia, Tsunami victims in Japan, Middle Eastern Christians mowed down in the “Arab Spring,” and the relatively unknown people like my uncle.

Sitting in that funeral service, I was further reminded that the message of Christmas is actually about the arrival of another death camp liberator. Jesus’ arrival in the old carols of advent and Christmas is strikingly described.

He is the one whose coming will “put death’s dark shadow to flight.” Who, “from depths of hell Thy people save, and give(s) them victory over the grave (O Come O Come Emmanuel). He is the one who “comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found” (Joy to the World). Because of him it is said “Now ye need not fear the grave, Jesus Christ was born to save,” (Good Christian Men Rejoice) The classic carol, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, sums it up best of all, with the words—“Mild he lay his glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.”

In these songs of Christmas, Jesus is described as a kind of “death camp liberator.” How does he accomplish this? By his extraordinary coming (incarnation), his righteous life and sacrifice on the cross (atonement for our sins), his victory over death (resurrection), and promised return (second advent).

It is strange, isn’t it, that the strongest carols of the season say nothing about having a “holly jolly Christmas.” Instead they are ascriptions of praise to God for a glorious gospel that is as deep as the Hebrew Scriptures, yet as relevant as the grief of some of our Decembers.

This is good news for all of us. It is the faith that my uncle loved to sing about, and that the prophet Isaiah spoke about. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9.2, NIV).

After reflecting on the year, I make a short list. My kids make a short list. We share it together on Thanksgiving Day. We actually try to make Thanksgiving—thanks-giving!

Psalm 103.1,2 says “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

Writing them down is one way to not forget. It is a great thing to do near the end of the year, before you think about making goals for 2012.

So what am I thankful for in 2011. It’s not that my year has had no hardship or disappointment. So when you read my list, please don’t get that idea. It’s just that, through it all, you and I still have great reason to be thankful.

1 The gospel I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is deeper and far more wonderful news than I ever imagined. It is centered on God’s startling action in Jesus’ incarnation, life, atoning death, resurrection, kingdom and future promises. It tells me of God’s amazing grace for me in Christ—of a righteousness revealed from heaven, of deep justifying love, of eternal life, of his justice and mercy, of his deep electing love, and of cosmic hope. With all the ups and downs of markets, election season, and world affairs, it is the best news on the planet.
2 Inauguration as president of RTS Orlando This February I had my inauguration. It was a blessing to have my father and Chuck Colson speak. Also had lots of friends from different eras of my life gather. It was just a special time of prayer and consecration. It is a great privilege to be at Reformed Theological Seminary helping train the next generation of pastors and leaders for the kingdom work of the global church in the 21^st century.
3 Safety and blessing in travel This year I have been on the road more than at any other period in my life. A team of people help me with each trip. Some trips involve preaching, conferences, meeting with leaders or colleagues, development or enrollment. I have been all over the United States this year, It is a blessing to get to see so much of our amazing country and to seek Christ’s work in so many different settings.
4 Christina Sweeting My wife finished 16 years of home schooling this year. She home schooled all the kids through middle school. She did a heroic, fantastic job. Now they are all launched. One is out of college. Two are in college. One is in middle school. But this investment of my wonderful wife has had a profound effect on the lives of our children.
5 Julianna The boys are now out of the house. Julianna is at home and just made the switch from home school to a local Christian classical school—The Geneva School. Not only is it a great place for her to be, but she has done really well and it is wonderful to see her thrive.
6 My new iPhone and Steve Jobs Yes I am one of those disaffected Blackberry users that couldn’t wait for his contract to run its course. So grateful for the creativity of SJ, and a phone that works so well, not to mention my new friend Siri.
7 Writing a book with my dad This year I spent some time writing a book with my 87 year old dad. It is called HOW TO FINISH THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. It will be coming out early in 2011 with Moody Press. What a blessing to have a conversation with him about what it means to follow Christ in the second half of life.
8 A new dog Part of the deal about moving to Florida was a puppy for Julianna. While getting a puppy can be quite disruptive, this new little creature has won our hearts and brought a lot of joy to our shrinking family. Her name is Autumn—a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She has reinforced my prejudice that dogs really are better than cats!
9 The privilege of serving on several boards This enables me to serve in several important arenas, and helps me see leadership issues from different perspectives. It has a been a joy to serve on the board of trustees at Colorado Christian University. It is an up and coming Christian college. Also, as of this Fall, I just started serving on the board of the National Association of Evangelicals.
10 Thanksgiving with my parents My parents are now in their mid 80s, still in their own home, and relatively healthy. To be able to have most of my children gather to spend Thanksgiving with them is…….sweet. The day will soon come when this is no longer possible. Coming home for Thanksgiving has special meaning this year.

So, these are my top ten. What are yours?

One of the Sweeting Thanksgiving customs is to place five corn kernels at each place setting. During the meal, each person has to share five things from this past year that they are thankful for. It is an old New England Thanksgiving custom. It is another way to count our blessings and make Thanksgiving—thanks-giving!