Adopted By God

A young man in our church who is a first year seminarian at Covenant Theological Seminary surprised me at Christmas by giving me a book by one of his professors titled "Adopted by God."

Jeremy has always taken a great interest in our adoption drama, and it was especially touching that he wanted me to have a book emphasizing a Biblical teaching that hits so close to home, as all three of our children are adopted.

Some of this book was very hard to get through, as Peterson intersperses stories from adults who were betrayed by their earthly fathers. Barbara writes:

I remember the day my dad left. He knelt and hugged me and cried. The skimpy dress of a five year old girl could not protect me from the chill that gathered around my arms and legs. The scratchy, tickly whiskers - would I feel them no more? The arms that felt so safe - would they be gone forever?

As I read this I thought about our girls and the father who abandoned them, but also about the hurt and pain of my childhood, and it occured to me that this is something I suspect many adoptive parents can relate to. What kind of people are attracted to bring a hurting child into their homes? Undoubtedly, adoptive parents are people with big hearts, but I think in many cases, we are also people who had difficult childhoods. It is no coincidence that Dana and I both came from abusive, alcoholic families and it's no surprise that we've brought two teenage girls into our family who came from far worse situations than ours. From the absolute wreckage of our past, God has redeemed us and equipped us to enter into the lives of others who've experienced brokenness.

Our Father poured His grace and mercy out on us and made us His children. It took me a long time to apprehend this, but because I've been adopted too, I don't have to regret the past:

When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full
rights of sons." (Gal. 4:4-5)

Yes, we are His children, but there's a part of this that we would rather avoid, as Peterson warns:

This means that sharing in Christ's sufferings are a normal part ofthe Christian life. It comes with the territory. Belonging to Christ involves sharing in all that is his, including suffering now and glory later.

I don't like to hear this. I'm ready for things to start getting easier, but I write this on a day when Dana and I are struggling with one of our children and faced with some big decisions. So when I read that we share in Christ's sufferings, I am actually encouraged. We have a worldwide family (much of which is being actively persecuted) called the church that carries our burdens with us, and most importantly, a brother who knows our struggles and intercedes to the Father on our behalf.

Reading this book has been difficult, but it's also been a great blessing as I learn more about what it means to be an adoptive father and an adopted son of God.

Thanks Jeremy!

Should Santa Get The Boot?

Santa Claus came to our house this year, or at least that's what we told our youngest. Is there a problem with this? Christian writer Frederica Mathewes-Green says it's a big problem and that we should give him the boot!

First, it's a big fat lie. What kind of an example are you setting here? How stupid are your kids going to feel when they realize they fell for this? What else of what you taught them are they going to doubt? Your kids should know that your word is always good and that they can rely on it without question every day of their lives.

Second, the Santa myth teaches kids ingratitude. You want your older children never to acknowledge your gifts? Enjoy the idea of never getting a thank-you note or any thoughtfulness in return? Santa-talk is a good way to start them on that path. They learn that goodies just magically appear and don't cost anybody anything. Their role in life is just to open packages and enjoy.

It also teaches greed. We may say piously that we want our children to develop just and generous virtues, but filling them with images of a toy-wielding potentate with a lifetime pass on eToys will knock all that flatter than Kansas.

Read the entire column here.

As much as we focused on the "true meaning of Christmas" this year, I'm sure my six year old son was much more impressed by Santa than the incarnation. I don't want to deprive him of these cherished childhood memories, but I'm inclined to rethink Santa in the years ahead.

What do you think?

About Christmas Cards

A recent posting on the excellent blog of Touchstone Magazine has generated some lively discussion in our home. On the subject of Christmas cards, Marci Segelstein writes:

"In a few days, my mantlepiece will be filled, not with reminders of the gospel story of Jesus’s birth, but with professional photos of children or entire families adorning cards with inoffensive messages like “Peace and Joy.” In my neck of the woods, there seems to be a little competition going for whose children can pose the best for these annual mailings. Frankly, I don’t care. And I have a little reality check for the church-going believers out there who send these photo cards: Christmas isn’t about your lovely, smiling children or your beautifully posed family. It’s about the Son of God taking human form to save your souls. Maybe putting Christ back into Christmas starts at home."

OUCH! As you can see, our card features our "lovely, smiling children." But does she make an important point? Christians complain every year about how secularized the Christmas season has become, but are we not contributing to it by focusing on ourselves?

You can read the entire post here. Your thoughts?

The Myth Of Safety and Security

"Our basis for trust is not in safety."

Dr. Jennifer Myhre

The Mhyre family in Bundibugyo, Uganda

I have begun a correspondence with a prospective parent, who is considering adopting an older child from Ukraine. She says, "I find I'm so selfish and want things my own, comfortable way."

Her admission is one most all of us can relate to, and addresses an issue that many Christians are coming to terms with. Why aren't Bible believing Christians doing more for God's most neglected children? This was brought home to me recently when our family attended a concert by Matthew Smith, the young Nashville-based singer/songwriter who is helping produce the amazing Indelible Grace albums.

Smith made a pitch for Compassion International, appealing to a crowd of around 500 to support a vital mission work that sponsors poverty stricken children. The cost is $32 per month and he noted that for most of us that could be accomplished by switching from latte to drip coffee!

A grand total of two people stepped forward to help, and the Compassion volunteer said that two was typical for an event this size. Their booth was set up right next to the CD and T-shirt booth, where hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise was being sold to Christians waiting in long lines.

I am in no position to judge, as I am as selfish as they come. I could sponsor several children monthly on my amazon.com and Starbucks habit alone! But I had to write something because I believe the Holy Spirit has been convicting me in profound ways recently.

Actually, it started two-and-a-half years ago when I attended a Mercy Ministries conference of our denomination. I raised my hand to question a speaker who was talking about inner city ministry. I agreed that it was an admirable thing to actually live in the city and minister relationally to the poor, but confessed that the safety of my family would prevent me from doing it right now.

His answer haunts me to this day: "Our job is not to protect our children. Our job is raise them in the admonition of Christ."

I am stunned by the courage I see from some Christians who are doing exactly that. I came across some of them in Ukraine, and today in church, we learned of a married missionary couple that is facing a terrible trial in a small Ugandan village where a deadly outbreak of the E-Bola virus has already claimed 26 lives.

Burying the dead in Uganda

Most of the mission team has been evacuated, but several members of the medical staff have remained and are currently treating infected patients. Scott and Jennifer Myhre, both doctors and the team's leaders, just sent their four children away, but they have decided to risk their lives by staying to treat and minister to those clinging to life.

In the Myhre's blog, Jennifer observes that "our basis for trust in not in safety." But as our pastor pointed out today, safety takes precedence in most of our lives. If you want to have this view challenged radically, John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life is a very dangerous read. About safety and the Christian life, Piper notes:

"The way I hope to explode the myth of safety and to disenchant you with the mirage of security is simply to go to the Bible and show that it is right to risk for the cause of Christ, and not to is to waste your life."

Until the late 19th century, evangelical Christians led the way in reaching out to the poor, and Piper is one of a growing number of Christ-centered pastors who are challenging the evangelical church to reclaim the Micah mandate to "Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God."

The revelation of the prophet Ezekiel regarding the reason for the destruction of the sinful city of Sodom came as a surprise for me. No, sexual sin was not the primary problem:

"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. (Ezekiel 16:49)."

Part of me is satisfied that I've done my part. We've adopted two teenage girls, and are praised frequently for having done so. But the truth is I can not say that we are living sacrificially. We still have "excess of food and prosperous ease" compared to the way 99 percent of the world lives.

I don't know where the Holy Spirit is leading me and my family. But I do know that I do not have to fear my earthly destination, no matter where it may lead. This is a good time of year to rest in the fact that wherever we are going, Jesus has gone before us.

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church Of Odessa

In the past month we have come to love this country. One of the reasons we have such a heavy heart about leaving is that we have to say goodbye to our fellow Presbyterians at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Odessa. The Ukrainian Presbyterians and American missionaries we've met here are just as fascinating as the history of the Reformed Christian faith in Ukraine, which dates back to the 16th century. It is a little known fact that the Protestant Reformation came this far eastward, but historical records show that approximately 100 Reformed Christian churches existed in Ukraine between 1570-1596. That came to a screeching halt with the Communist Revolution, but Presbyterianism is once again on the march in the land of the Rus.

This thriving congregation is one of 11 churches in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ukraine. The largest is the 500 plus member Holy Trinity Church of Kyiv. The denomination was established by the Presbyterian Church in America's world missions organization, which also trains Ukrainian pastors and other church leaders at the Evangelical Reformed Seminary of Ukraine.

Today was a special treat as 38 choir members and musicians from Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia lifted their voices in glory to God. They will be performing in special concerts throughout the week.

Pastor Valera Bubuinin preaches a message of hope, which is translated into English.

Bob and Andrea Burnham have been PCA missionaries in Ukraine for 12 years. "Right now the Presbyterian Church of Ukraine is poised on the edge of exponential growth," says Bob. "Our goal is to have 44 churches in the denomination in the next 15 years." Read about their hope for Ukraine and inspirational story here.

Darlene and Clay Quarterman have devoted their lives to foreign missions. Clay is president of the Seminary. They say a big hello to all their old friends in Hopewell, Virginia!

The Martin family has called Odessa home for nine years: (L to R) David, Jill, Ruth Anne, Shirley and Paul. We were befriended by this wonderful missionary family in our first week.

One of the greatest blessings is that this church is attracting young folks who are eager to share God's love with their friends. Every week we saw orphans, and kids who had "graduated" from the orphanage worshiping here.

The beautiful voices of the youth choir sing out with such joy and heart, it is guaranteed to leave you misty-eyed! There is nothing like hearing favorite hymns and praise songs in Russian. We can't wait to return to this special church to see what God is doing in the years to come.

The Eastern Orthodox Church

Ukraine is the birthplace of Slavic civilization and for more than 1000 years, that history has been closely tied to the Orthodox Christian faith. Like most American Protestants, Orthodoxy has always been a mystery to me, but four years ago I had the privilege of taking a Systematic Theology course with Dr. Robert Letham, an esteemed Reformed pastor and scholar from Britain. Letham is thoroughly in the Reformed Evangelical camp, so it was surprising to hear him regularly quote Orthodox theologians such as Bishop Kallistos Ware and Alexander Schmeman. I finally got around to reading these authors in the past year and have attended Orthodox worship services in Richmond, so I was delighted to recently receive notice from the Westminster Theological Seminary Bookstore that Dr. Letham's new book is called "Through Western Eyes: Eastern Orthodoxy - A Reformed Perspective." The publisher writes:

Eastern Orthodoxy is increasingly popular in the Anglo-Saxon world. It conveys a sense of mystery, of continuity with the past, of dignified worship at a time when evangelical Protestantism is increasingly cheapened and trivialized.

Letham's book examines the serious theological differences between East and West while cautioning Reformed believers that:

"There are clear and significant areas of agreement - a common allegiance to the triune God; the person of Christ; the authority of Scripture and the truth of the gospel."

Indeed, the Orthodox faithful have defended, fought for, and died for the faith since the very beginning of Christianity. Please don't miss the opportunity to visit the famous Orthodox sites while in Ukraine, and for an unforgettable experience, attend one of the beautiful Orthodox liturgies.

The Bell Tower at the entrance of the ancient St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv. You can see mosaic and frescoes here dating back to the 11th Century.

The seven gold domes of the stunning Dormition Cathedral at Kyiv's Monastery of the Caves, a modern replica of the building erected in 1077. The original was destroyed by the retreating Soviet Army in WWII.

Founded in 1051, the Monastery of the Caves is the holiest site in Slavic lands.

Visiting the actual caves is a bit of a trek, but because it is an active monastery, there is no admission fee. Women must cover their heads and legs. Men are not permitted to wear shorts and no pictures can be taken.

The Caves entrance. This is not for the claustrophobic! You wind your way through very narrow passages passing by the bodies of the mummified monks. This is a rare and moving experience.

No signs are in English and none of the tourist guides said anything about not taking pictures of the Priests (oops!).

One of the things I hope to teach my Russian-born son and Ukrainian-born daughters is that Christians are actually called to suffer (1 Pet 2:21). Modern Christianity doesn't teach this biblical truth much anymore, but few people have suffered more throughout history than Orthodox Christians. They have never forgotten what it means to take up the cross.

Cosmic Redemption

"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." (Romans 8:20-21)

At first glance, all appears well in this shot of a potato field just outside Odessa. But the truth is, Southern Ukraine is suffering from an unusual early-season drought after more than a month without rain. Without a good soaking very soon, much of this region's crops will be destroyed with dire consequences for a large percentage of these people who are economically strapped to begin with.

Tonight I took a twenty minute walk from our apartment to participate in a home worship service with a group of missionaries from our denomination (Presbyterian Church in America). These devoted servants have been bringing hope to the suffering people of Ukraine ever since the fall of communism and it was pure joy to be in their midst.

The sermon was a John Piper recording, and I can't think of a better preacher to hear from, just two days before I become a father to two Russian-speaking teenage girls! Piper called the verses from Romans cited above as some of the most important in the Bible for a Christian to grasp. He stressed the fact that the Bible teaches that "All of life is disordered."

It is so hard to come to Ukraine and not keep asking yourself, and God, "why, why, why?" The truth is, ever since the fall, sin has permeated all of nature! Everything from the drought to the litter of puppies I saw today on the side of busy street, nursing on top of a trash heap.

The hard part is that Paul says our God allowed it all to occur "in hope that the creation itself will be set free...and obtain the freedom of the glory of God." That freedom can be obtained by any of God's broken people as demonstrated throughout the Bible and history.

I've never forgotten a sermon by Tim Keller pointing out the fact that Matthew saw fit to include the names of women (something that was never done by Jewish scribes) in the geneology which begins his gospel story. Among them are Rahab (a prostitute) and the "wife" of Uriah (an adulteress). That geneology happens to be the geneology of Christ, so these "unclean" women are direct descendents of our Lord and Savior!

We are all broken people living in a terribly broken world and the weight of that truth has hit me hard in recent days, seeing these hurting children, and projecting about the challenges that lie ahead for me and my family. I confess to being more than a little frightened by everything that could go wrong.

What a blessing it was tonight to put this in its proper perspective. God created the world and permitted the fall of all creation, but by His grace has given us hope in His promised redemption of the entire cosmos through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer Request: Rain is forecast for Tuesday and they need it desperately. Also, I just learned we could go to court Monday afternoon to finalize the adoption, followed of course by the ten day waiting period. Please pray for all to go smoothly.