The Fourth Day

The Fourth Day by Howard J. Van Till

“What the Bible and the Heavens are telling us about the Creation”

I’m really having trouble writing this particular book review.  The book is divided into three major sections:  Taking the Bible Seriously, Taking the Cosmos Seriously, and Taking the Bible and the Cosmos Seriously.

The first section lays the foundation.  We must take the Bible seriously.  But we must recognize legitimate questions that can be answered from the Bible.  The Bible is covenantal canon –meaning it is the written record of the Covenant.  It answers questions as to the status, origin, goverance, value and purpose of all Creation.  It does not answer questions pertaining to the properties, behavior and history of the material world.

The purpose of Scripture is to bring us into a right relationship with God, our fellow man, and the creation by reminding us of God’s promises and our responsibiliies, by acting as a witness of His prior events, and as a source of information concerning events, people, and near-east culture.  We learn that God is the originator of the cosmos, the preserver and sustainer of the cosmos, the govenor of Creation’s behavior, and the provider of its needs.

He then turns his attention to the cosmos.  He details the scientific study of stellar properties, the investigation of stellar behavior and history, and cosmic chronology and evolution.  I found the life cycle of a star to be facinating.   I found it comforting that a Christian CAN believe this way and still glorify God.

The final section calls for the integration of science and faith.  He critiques both naturalistic evolution and “creation science.”  He calls for a creationomic point of view.  God is sovereign after all.

God is the sovereign Creator.  Isn’t that what the Apostle’s Creed calls us to affirm?  I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

my new ride

I got a new ride!  It is an Electra Townie 3i.  It is such a joy to ride.

Here is a description from REI:

Offering stability, laid-back style and a convenient step-through design, the Electra Townie 3i Champagne is great for women looking for a fun, functional cruiser bike.

• Geometry places rider upright for comfortable, heads-up positioning; aft positioning allows a rider to place both feet on the ground at a stop
• Lightweight aluminum frame provides vertical stiffness for prompt acceleration and uphill power; it’s also easily lifted for storage and transport
• Step-through frame makes mounting and dismounting the saddle quick and easy
• Shimano Nexus internal rear hub provides 3 smooth-shifting speeds and is remarkably maintenance free compared to conventional cassette systems
• Shimano Revo twist-shifters are intuitively easy to use
• Hand-operated linear-pull brake controls front wheel while rear coaster brake offers intuitive deceleration with simple backpedaling
• Townie saddle features shock-absorbing elastomers for all-day riding comfort
• Convenient platform pedals accept most casual shoes while the full-length chainguard keeps dirt and oil off your legs
• Semi-slick 26×2.0 tires provide a smooth and stable ride over a variety of riding surfaces
• Specs are subject to change

Fitting an Electra bike is easy. Start by setting the saddle to its lowest position and then stand over it with both feet flat on the ground. Next, simply raise the saddle until it rests in the crotch. Tighten it in place, and that’s it— you’re done!

Electra Townie 3i Champagne Step-Through Women’s Bike – 2009 Specs

Specification	Description
Frame	6061 Aluminum
Fork	Uni Crown steel
Crankset	Forged alloy 170mm, 44T
Bottom bracket	Sealed cartridge
Shifters	Shimano Revo 3-speed
Rear cogs	Shimano 20T
Number of gears	3
Brakes	Linear front
Brake levers	Alloy
Rims	Alloy
Front hub	Alloy 32H
Rear hub	Shimano Nexus Inter 3, 32h
Spokes	14G stainless
Tires	Semi-slick 26 x 2.0
Handlebar	Alloy custom bend
Stem	Alloy
Seat post	Alloy pillar
Saddle	Ergonomic with elastomer bumpers
Pedals	Resin with non-slip tread
Headset	1.125″ steel threaded
Chain	KMC 410

bunnies

Remember me telling you about the bunnies that HM found in our colony?   I think she found them about March 13 or so.

Here is a picture of them.

a few of my favorite things

A friend asked me to put together a list of books that I didn’t think she should miss.   Not a list of school books, but of books that I hold near and dear.  It was a thought provoking request.

I decided there are really only a few books I wouldn’t want to live without.   Here they are:

• That Hideous Strength by CS Lewis (read along with the Abolition of Man)

• My Bible (along with Concise Theology by JI Packer)
• Plutarch’s Lives
• Redwall
• Watership Down
• Lord Peter Wimsey (my collection by Dorothy Sayers)

Now if I could choose a few others to go along with those:

• Ender’s Game
• Shakespeare (as many as possible)
• The Napoleon of Notting Hill
• The Unsettling of America by W. Berry
• Ideas Have Consequences by Richard Weaver

So what are you favorites?

a younger me

My mom just emailed some old pictures she took of us. She and my nephew GJ visited one day.  You can see a young MA and a young HM and a very much younger looking ME!  We had such fun that day.

Don’t worry the mower blade was not engaged.  We were just driving.

twilight: a review, but not by me

I’ve never read these books and I haven’t seen the movie.   But I have had concerns about their appropriateness for young Christian women since reading a 16 year olds 20 page narration of them.

My daughter sent me a couple of links that review the books.   If you have a young daughter you might want to read these before exposing her to the stories.

http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?p=3472

and

http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?p=3703

update: sunday

It has come to my attention that people using Explorer didn’t get to see all Sunday’s pictures.  Why?  Why can I see them on Mozzilla, but not on Explorer?  I must be doing something wrong.

Anyway, here’s what you missed!

Me

CK

Keilan

how the hedges spend a sunday

Today is a beautiful day here in southern Indiana.  Right now it is 2:48 pm and 56 degrees.

We got up this morning and took care of the animals and then the people.  We went to Sunday School and worship service.  By 11 am we were back home and everyone was finding their own lunch.  We go back and forth between the front deck and the living room.  Watching the dogs, reading, playing on the x-box, and sleeping.  We’ll do this all day until someone gets hungry for dinner.  Then we’ll eat, walk the dogs, feed the dogs, check the other animals, and watch a bit of our Netflix before turning in for the night.

I love Sundays.

Keilan

CK

Me

Origins: A Reformed Look at Creation, Design, & Evolution

Origins:   A Reformed Look at Creation, Design, & Evolution by Deborah B & Loren D Haarsma

This is one of those short, concise, well written books that you can see yourself referring back to many times in the future.    The authors maintain a sense of awe in the creation and an attitude of worship towards the Creator.  This awe and attitude makes it much easier for a struggling lay person like myself to read.

Another aspect of this book that I loved was how they look at all the viewpoints lined up with both the Bible and science.  They show both the strengths and flaws of each.   This will make it easy to use the book to evaluate other books.

Here are the chapters that were really helpful to me:

Chapter 2:  Worldview and Science (creation vs creationism, evolution vs evolutionism).  God’s governance of explainable natural events, of unexplained natural events, of supernatural miracles, or random events (chance–this section was VERY helpful in answering some questions I had).

Chapter 11-12:  Scientific and Theological Issues on Human Origins.  5 scenarios for Adam and Eve:  recent ancestors, recent representatives, pair of ancient ancestors, group of ancient representatives, symbolic

And my parting quote is from the last chapter:

So What Should You Belive?

That’s the biggest question, and of course we can’t answer it for you.  We understand that this issue can be overwhelming.  After reading a book full of evidence and arguments, it’s normal to feel a little  unsure what to think.  If this were an easy issue, Christians would already agree.

. . . Questions about how and when God created the earth are important, but they are not essential to our salvation.  It is not essential for every Christian to come to a firm conclusion on these issues.

eggs and bunnies

No, it isn’t about Easter.  Although I can see why ancient cultures used these as symbols of Spring and the goddess of fertility.

Right now, Broody is setting 16 eggs–10 bantam eggs and 6 leghorn.  That is a lot of eggs.  She’s been faithfully sitting there through warm and cold for almost 2 weeks.  She gets up for a few minutes each day to eat, drink, and stretch her legs.  Then she goes right back.  She doesn’t seem to mind the inconvience.  She’s happy to be there.  Everything in her nature was crying for an opportunity to raise a group of younguns’

HM went out to clean the rabbit yard and guess what she found.  That’s right a swarming mass of bunnies.  Somewhere between 10-14 she figures.  They were really well hidden.   Rabbit moms only nurse their young for 5 minutes a day.  It is quick and the milk is really rich.  These little ones have a fuzz of hair and their eyes aren’t open yet.

My lilac bush has little hints of swollen green nubs.  It won’t be long before the intoxicating smell wafts through the windows.  Then I’ll know for sure that Spring has sprung!

Beyond the Firmament

I’ve started doing a lot of reading about creation theology.  I never knew there were so many viewpoints.   I have quite a stack (literally, a stack!) of books from all sorts of positions to go through.   As I complete each book I’ll post a short review, what I believe is their perspective, and a lengthy quote that spoke to me.  I’m not drawing conclusions, just reading and making observations.  It is good to read things that challenge you.  You grow:  sometimes you change, sometimes you learn how to communicate your position more clearly, sometimes you have a radical reunderstanding of people.

I guess this is why God led me to re-read How to Read a Book recently!  Providence is indeed a marvelous thing.

Beyond the Firmament by Gordon J Glover was quite a stretch for me.  He argues that the original intention of Genesis 1-2 is to tell us who created–not how or when.  He compares the Biblical account to Egyptian mythology.  He also believes in a providential view of the Big Bang and biological evolution.

Quoted from Creation Science and Apologetics (the last section of the book):

One of the main reasons that Christians take such an interest in Creation Science is to defend their faith.  The other side of the apologetical coin is to promote the Christian faith by convincing others that God is real, Jesus is His son, and the Bible is His word.  But is Creation Science an effective tool of evangelism?  Do skeptics, atheists and agnostics reject the grace of God for lack of scientific evidence?  I submit to you that they do not.  They don’t need cognitive arguments, they need saving grace. . . .

The only thing capable of melting down the wall of spiritual denial that surrounds the hearts of unbelievers is the grace of God.  What the world wants to see is Christians putting their spiritual “money” where their mouths are.  They are not impressed when Christians try to impersonate scientists by empirically searching for signs of a Creator, but they would be taken aback if Christians were to simply act like Jesus by performing genuine acts of Christian mercy and compassion with no theological strings attached.  Our labors for the Kingdom of God should cut right down to the chase, serving our fellow men and women in need by tangibly extending the grace of God to a fallen and falling world.

As wonderful as the natural sciences are by enhancing our quality of life and giving us a window into creation, they don’t hold a candle to the simple ordinary acts of kindness and compassion that the followers of Christ are commanded to perform.   Extending a cup of cold water to a hot and thirsty atheist will have a greater impact than all of the lofty apologetical musings of Young Earth Creationism, Old Earth Creationism, and Intelligent Design movement put together.  How many brilliant scientific minds have already been isolated from the gospel message by misguided and dogmatic approaches to theories of natural history?  How many valuable Christian resources have been wasted by groups like the Institute for Creation Research or Answers in Genesis to fight an unneccessary battle that can’t be won?

In the end, Christians are far better off treating naturalistic theories about origins the same way we treat the rest of the natural sciences; as tenative material explanations of observable physical phenomena–nothing more, and nothing less.  As long as the Christian worldview is anchored in a biblical theology of creation that finds God providentially working through all the normal patterns of material behavior to accomplish His divine purposes, no scientific theory can possilby dethrone God as the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth

let spurgeon be spurgeon

A Sermon (No. 30) Delivered on Sabbath Morning, June 17, 1855, by the REV. C. H. Spurgeon At New Park Street Chapel, Southwark.

The complete sermon

1.  First, the Spirit has manifested the omnipotence of his power in creation works; for though not very frequently in Scripture, yet sometimes creation is ascribed to the Holy Ghost, as well as to the Father and the Son. . . . So that the creation of every man is the work of the Spirit; and the creation of all life and all flesh-existence in this world, is as much to be ascribed to the power of the Spirit, as the first garnishing of the heavens, or the fashioning of the crooked serpent.  But if you look in the first chapter of Genesis, you will see there more particularly set forth that peculiar operation of power upon the universe which was put forth by the Holy Spirit; you will then discover what was his special work.  In the 2d verse of the first chapter of Genesis, we read, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”   We know not how remote the period of the creation of this globe may be—certainly many millions of years before the time of Adam. Our planet has passed through various stages of existence, and different kinds of creatures have lived on its surface, all of which have been fashioned by God. But before that era came, wherein man should be its principal tenant and monarch, the Creator gave up the world to confusion. He allowed the inward fires to burst up from beneath, and melt all the solid matter, so that all kinds of substances were commingled in one vast mass of disorder. The only name you could give to the world, then, was that it was a chaotic mass of matter; what it should be, you could not guess or define. It was entirely “without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” The Spirit came, and stretching his broad wings, bade the darkness disperse, and as he moved over it, all the different portions of matter came into their places, and it was no longer “without form, and void;” but became round, like its sister planets, and moved, singing the high praises of God—not discordantly, as it had done before, but as one great note in the vast scale of creation. . . .

Now here is the text of Spurgeon ReLoaded on the website of a well known ministry:

But if you will look in the first chapter of Genesis, you will see there more particularly set forth that peculiar operation of power upon the universe which was put forth by the Holy Spirit; you will then discover what was his special work. In Ge 1:2, we read, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”^a Our planet has passed through various stages in creation, and different kinds of creatures have lived on its surface, all of which have been fashioned by God. But before that era came, when man should be its principal tenant and monarch, the Creator initially created the world as a chaotic mass on the first day of creation. It was entirely without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. The Spirit came, and stretching his broad wings, bade the darkness disperse, and as he moved over it, all the different portions of matter came into their places, and it was no longer “without form, and void;” but became round like its sister planets, and moved, singing the high praises of God—not discordantly as it had done before, but as one great note in the vast scale of creation.

And then way down at the bottom you find this:

Note

(a) [We do not know how remote the period of the creation of this globe may be—certainly many millions of years before the time of Adam. Our planet has passed through various stages of existence, and different kinds of creatures have lived on its surface, all of which have been fashioned by God. But before that era came, when man should be its principal tenant and monarch, the Creator gave up the world to confusion. He allowed the inward fires to burst up from beneath and melt all the solid matter, so that all kinds of substances were commingled in one vast mass of disorder; the only name you could give to the world then was, that it was a chaotic mass of matter; what it should be, you could not guess or define.] Bracketed text removed from the sermon. As brilliant as Spurgeon was, even he did not understand the age issue. –Editor
**Please also note that this footnote was intended to be in the original posting, but was lost somehow in the transition of these files for web publication. Thanks to our astute readers for finding and reporting this error.

he said, she said

Do  you remember that movie called “He Said, She Said”?

From Wikipedia:  It is the story of the relationship between journalists Dan Hanson (Bacon) and Lorie Bryer (Perkins) twice – once from each perspective. . . . Dan and Lorie are rival editorial page contributors at the Baltimore Sun. The rivalry between the conservative Dan and liberal Lorie eventually leads to a TV series where both present their opposing views on various topics. As Dan and Lorie get to know each other, they discover they have feelings for each other.

Well, without the romantic comedy, it is kind of a good analogy for what I’ve been dealing with.  For the longest time I only listened to what “he said.”  I didn’t take the time or energy to verify facts.  I didn’t listen to the subtle voices in the wind that were telling me that all was not right in my tidy little world.

It all started with an innocent little Google search.  I remembered a home school catalog that I loved, but couldn’t afford when MA and HM were small.   I looked them up and followed some links and ended up at a blog.  Wow.   JH has dealt with a lot over the past years.   It got my attention.

I began to read his posts.   An uneasiness began.   He pointed out an area where a certain ministry might be tempted to deal truth a blow.  A preacher they are quite fond of did not agree with their basic premise.  Would they post his real beliefs or would they hide the disagreement?

I sincerely believed they would act with integrity.  I believed they would leave the sermon intact and then note that they strongly disagreed.  That is not what happened.  They completely changed the meaning and even left some parts completely out.   Although they did put the deleted part back in as a footnote after it was brought to their attention.  Still a footnote?   To deal with it truthfully they should have put it in the sermon in its original place and put their comment as a footnote.

So he said . . . and they said . . .  and here I am caught in the middle!  Trying to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.  How far will they taint information that doesn’t suit them?  How long will they attempt to keep the information quiet?  How many people will be hurt by their actions?

Tomorrow I will post part of the original sermon, along with a link to the whole.  I will also post their version.  You can see and decide for yourself.

says who?

As a former home school mom I have often found myself needing to “study up” on a topic before presenting it to my children.   Often in the course of their education I found myself delving deep in subjects that I had never (or only briefly) even dipped my toes into before.

In some respects it made me a much wiser woman.  It is difficult to admit that you don’t have all the answers to a five year old’s questions.  It is humbling to have to look up those things that seem so simple to a child.

I loved nothing better than to fill my children’s  heads with wonder.  We spent much time reading mythology (especially Greek, Roman and Norse), fairy tales, Narnia, and King Arthur.   Later we added CS Lewis’ Space Trilogy, Tolkein’s Middle Earth, The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, The Divine Comedy, Milton, Shakespeare, and The Faerie Queen.  There is nothing better than losing yourself in a world of absolute morals.   You can explore causes and see effects without ever leaving the couch.

My children still have rich imaginations.  They have quick intellects.  They are able to grasp the veiled meanings and shadowy plots.  They are adults that I can bounce any idea off of and they will instantly be able to show me a connection with some story.  It is amazing.  It is a gift that I wish I had.

I’ve needed that gift lately.  Here’s why.

There are many subjects that I was not capable of teaching.  Math — oh, man.  I bought a video series to get them started.  MA is a whiz.  He just gets it.  HM struggled through and became quite competent.  Science — even worse.  After all, most science is math.   I bought the best textbooks I could find, supplemented with a ministry’s materials, and prayed for the best.

I trusted this ministry to handle the science with integrity.  To give us all the facts, to get the facts right, and above all to be truthful.  In the past few weeks I  have learned of several instances where this ministry has not dealt with other Christians with integrity.  They have not told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Now I find, in the face of irrefutable evidence, that I have been naive.   Now I must begin the process of determining how far the deception runs.  Does it just involve their relationships or does it involve their science?

I don’t know.  I may not know for a long time.  It will be a difficult journey.

I am thankful for my husband who always listens and understands my need to understand.  I am thankful for my children who let me bounce crazy ideas off of them just to see where my logical flaws are.  I am thankful for a sister who encourages me to explore (and even sends book recommendations–gotta love that!).

Hang on, the ride might be bumpy at times.  You all know that I’m not eloquent– just honest about my life.

Kim

between a laugh and a tear

I’ve been pretty quiet on here lately.  I seem to have come to a crisis point on several issues.  I’d rather not get more specific right now, but I will have to publicly deal with them eventually.

Suffice it to say, I am learning that teachers (who usually proclaim themselves to be the good guys) can make huge errors.  What I thought they were teaching with integrity sometimes was a deliberate deception.

This song by John Mellencamp is one of my favorites.  I’m trying to find that balance between a laugh and a tear and smiling in the mirror as I pass.

Between a Laugh and a Tear

When paradise is no longer fit for you to live in
And your adolescent dreams are gone
Through the days you feel a little used up
And you dont know where your energys gone wrong
Its just your soul feelin a little downhearted
Sometimes life is too ridiculous to live
You count your friends all on one finger
I know it sounds crazy just the way that we live

Chorus:
Between a laugh and a tear
Smile in the mirror as you walk by
Between a laugh and a tear
And thats as good as it can get for us
And there aint no reason to stop tryin

When this cardboard town can no longer amuse you
You see through everything and nothin seems worthwhile
And hypocrite used to be such a big word to you
And it dont seem to mean anything to you now
Just try to live each and every precious moment
Dont be discouraged by the future forget the past
Thats old advise but itll be good to you
I know theres a balance see it when I swing past

Chorus:
Between a laugh and a tear
Smile in the mirror as you walk by
Between a laugh and a tear
And thats as good as it can get for us
And there aint no reason to stop tryin

Between a laugh and a tear
Smile in the mirror as you walk by
Between a laugh and a tear
And thats as good as it can get for us
And there aint no reason to stop tryin

When paradise can no longer amuse you…..