Vox Lucens

Every year, CHBC uses Halloween to spread a gospel message by turning trick-or-treating on its head. Instead of kids going to get candy, the kids of the church take bags of candy–and gospel tracts–to neighborhood homes. This year I tagged along with a camera, and though I’m still a lousy photographer I had some fun experimenting.

For we are now champions.

Dorchester Presbyterian “Black Sheep” - Fall Volleyball Rec League Champions!

I have been trying to write a law-school-wrapup post for about four days now, but to be honest, I don’t know where to begin.

It is a great feeling to be done with five years of school, balanced by the feeling of terror that the test to make it all worth it is still in the future.

It is a great feeling to be done with the stress of finals, balanced by the fact that there are plenty of other things to fill up my stress quotient.

Ah, life! And how to update on so much?

First, that UCC exam was hard. Zounds.

Second, whatever happened to life slowing down after finals?

Third, I bought a new computer for finals. My current computorial advice is “don’t buy a Dell,” and I shall perhaps elaborate in future posts. Or you can ask, if you dare.

Well, I’m off to do at least a couple of the million or so things that are clamoring for my attention, with reasonable hopes of a decent bedtime. Catch you on the flipside.

And all through the brain,

All the knowledge was gone, as if flushed down the drain.

The outlines were read, underlined with such care,

In hopes understanding soon would be there.

All of the lectures have been burned in my head,

There morning, and lunchtime, and laying in bed.

Alas, I must strive to conquer this clatter,

In hopes that my GPA doesn’t go “splatter.”

So I read through my notes, and am done in a flash,

Of hoping to pass, I allow just a dash.

On issues! Come rules! Your analysis mix in!

Or on this test, to fail you are fixin’!

And may I exclaim, ere this final is done,

“What on earth was I thinking? For testing is fun!”

Community Property, Monday at 6pm; UCC, Saturday at 9am. Prayers appreciated!

Today I was writing the Weekly Reminder, trying to do a good job under significant time restraints with an amazingly compelling story. As I wrote, I suddenly realized that I was writing my own prayer request for myself. But it is one that all believers need!

Jesus never promised that the Christian life would be easy. Following His path is not something that we do for the temporal reward, because His promises are for eternity.

Today I read a story about a Nigerian man who has learned what it means to sacrifice for Christ. A court in Nigeria, which is a Muslim nation, has taken his daughters away from him because he is a Christian. The police commissioner in his city simply said that he is no longer capable of being their father because he turned to the gospel. (You can read the full story here.)

As I read this story, I was immediately reminded of Matthew 10:37: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” This man, by clinging to his faith in spite of the sacrifice, has proved that he is worthy. In spite of the pain, he has his priorities straight—he is looking to eternity.

Mark 10 tells us that his reward is sure. “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30)

 

The fact that the Christian life is not easy does not mean that it is not worth it! What a merciful God we have, so willing to reward if we are faithful in serving Him through the pain.

 

Let us pray for that faithfulness for our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a prayer that we all need—whether we live in freedom or in persecution!—but let us especially remember those that live in such suffering. Your prayers work to give them strength to run the race to the end, and receive that reward: in the world to come eternal life.

In other news–

If you know me, you know that I love history. If you have ever spent any time with me, you have probably gathered that I also love linguistics. When I find something that combines the two, it will normally make me salivate as much as my chicken does. Combine that with places that I have been privileged to travel to and minister in, and you have a killer combo.

So when I found an amazing history of the Nuba Mountains in central Sudan, a history based on the utterly fascinating linguistics of the region, you can guess I had to swallow hard to avoid slobbering all over the place.

Read the history here. You can also see the homepage of this cool site at www.nubamountains.com.

It certainly lends an amazing amount of meaning to the joy I saw in Mahjoub’s eyes when he proudly showed us a copy of the Bible in his own native tribal dialect. What an accomplishment.

This is but one of what will hopefully be many trip previews…