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Milestones
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WIL TRIGGS
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God’s Great Mercies
HEATHER OWENS
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Thanksgiving
Amazing Grace:
CIRRINCIONE
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Real?
WALLACE ALCORN
Artist
Sarah
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Brother Andrew: A Spiritual Father KATHERINE BAYLIS
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Attendance
TOM JOHNSTON
PAGE 22 Autumn Burrs KEITH BODGER
23 Sanctity of Human Life Updates
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the Radar
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At the Bookstall
27
Looking
28
David Setran
DAVID SEAMAN
332 E. Seminary, Wheaton, IL 60187
668-0878
www.college-church.org
Connections
of College
connections@college-church.org.
College Church
has taught, at least as a substitute or adjunct, on every level from kindergarten through doctoral students— but principally Bible college and seminary. For the past eight years, he has been a guest teacher four times each semester at Wheaton Academy.
a semi-regular contributor to Connections, is a tea enthusiast who loves rare books. She works in Bible manufacturing at Tyndale and is also a grad student at Wheaton College studying church history.
has lived in Wheaton since he married his wife, Mel. He and Mel have been at College Church for almost ten years and lead a small group. Keith’s summer gig was the emcee at Tuesdays Together.
is the CEO of 10ofthose.com— a book ministry that began as a hobby in his bedroom when he was a youth pastor in Northern Ireland, after studying at Durham University. He lives in Lombard with his wife, Felicity, and their two boys. He is a member of our church plant, Hope Fellowship.
If she isn’t cleaning house or washing clothes or cooking/baking for her family, Pat can be found, knitting, crocheting, cross stitching, reading and writing. If you can’t locate her, she is probably curled up in a chair with a good book. God and her family are her greatness joys—spending time with both has led to much joy, fun and laughter.
a former art teacher, serves as a deaconess and volunteers in our disability ministries. She is this month’s featured artist.
and her husband, Daniel, are College Church missionaries, serving in Vietnam. Heather homeschools their two sons Caleb and Nathan and coordinators the children’s ministry at their international church.
is an active member of our 20s ministry and has worked in various areas of writing and publishing. He grew up in Wheaton and is a graduate of Taylor University and has engaged in additional study at the University of Missouri’s journalism school.
currently serves on our elder council. He teaches in the department of Christian formation and ministry at Wheaton College. He and his wife, Holly, have four young adult children.
COVER IMAGE: Sarah Nelson, PoppiesJoin us at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Livestream broadcast is at 9:30 with a rebroadcast at 11. You can watch it at college-church.org/livestream
Pastor Josh Moody preaching on Mark
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
The evening of November 6 during the service.
THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE AND SWEET TIME GATHERING
The evening of November 23 at 7 p.m. No sweet signup needed this year; details to come about an exciting new outreach component.
THANKSGIVING DAY TURKEY TROT 5K St. James Farm in Warrenville at 9 a.m. Register at https://gomin.org/tt22/
10OFTHOSE SUNDAY MORNING BOOK EVENT
The morning of November 27 in the Narthex ARTSPACE SHOW IN CROSSINGS Beginning November 27
“COME AT LAST” ADVENT HYMN SING IN CROSSINGS November 27 at 5 p.m.
NOVEMBER 6: Seeing and Really Seeing , Mark 8:22-9:1
NOVEMBER 13: Transfiguration and Crucifixion , Mark 9: 2-32
NOVEMBER 20: Lessons from a Little Child, Mark 9:33-50
NOVEMBER 27: ADVENT 1— Christmas: Can You Believe It? Just the Facts, Please , Luke 1:1-4
Everyone welcome.
In Commons Hall at 5 p.m. unless noted
NOVEMBER 6: 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2. Ministry Associate Felipe Chamy preaching. International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
NOVEMBER 13: 1 Timothy 6:2-10, Pastoral Resident Richard Moomjian preaching
NOVEMBER 20: 1 Timothy 6:11-21, Pastor Josh Moody preaching
NOVEMBER 27: “Come at Last” Advent Hymn Sing in the Sanctuary
ALL NATIONS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104F
• TEACHER: Jim Tebbe
• STUDY: The Mission of God in Scripture—Daniel 1-6, signs in John’s gospel, end of Acts after Paul’s arrest, messages to the seven churches in Revelation
• DESCRIPTION: Exploring the mission of God in Scripture through Bible study. There will also be testimonies, information about and prayer for the church in different parts of the world.
FORUM 15 Sundays 9:30 a.m. in CL01
• TEACHER: Bruce Main
• STUDY: Life of Christ
• DESCRIPTION: In-depth study of important times in the life of Christ
GREEK CLASS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in the Board Room
• TEACHER: Jon Laansma
• STUDY: 1 John
• DESCRIPTION: Knowledge of Greek is not required for this class.
LIFE TOGETHER COMMUNITY Sundays 9:30 a.m. in Commons Gym
• TEACHER: Teaching Team
• STUDY: Varying Topics
• DESCRIPTION: Authentic, biblical community for adults ages 25–40
LIVING WORD Sundays 9:30AM in C104A & C104C
• TEACHER: Doug Moo, Josh Maurer and Felipe Chamy
• STUDY: 1 & 2 Thessalonians
• DESCRIPTION: Fellowship and exposition of 1 & 2 Thessalonians, with application to life today
LOGOS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104E
• TEACHER: Dan Haase
• STUDY: The Gospel of John
• DESCRIPTION: Appeal of Jesus
THRIVE Sundays 9:30 a.m. in Crossings-Clapham Main Area
• TEACHER: Teaching Team
• STUDY: Varying Topics
• DESCRIPTION: Biblical community for 40s to mid-50s, including: single/ married/widowed/divorced. Join us to be encouraged and thrive.
VERITAS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104B & D
• TEACHER: Neil Wright
• STUDY: Book of Revelation—Young parents are welcome!
CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES (KIDS’ HARBOR)
NURSERY (0-2) at 9:30 and 11 a.m.
BIBLE SCHOOL (preschool-fifth grade) at 9:30 a.m. WONDERS OF WORSHIP “WOW” (K-third grade) during second half of 11 a.m. service
CHILDREN’S CHURCH (preschool) at 11 a.m.
PRESCHOOL at 5 p.m.
GOD’S CHILDREN SING (Kindergarten and Pre-K) and CHILDREN’S CHOIRS (grades 1-6) at 5 p.m.
KIDS’ HARBOR WEDNESDAY CLUBS at 6:45 p.m. The Wednesday clubs include Pioneer Girls (grades 1-5) and Boys Brigade (grades 1-5). Join us this year.
INCLUSION CLASSES at 9:30 and 11 a.m.
CHILDREN/TEEN STARS at 9:30 and 11 a.m. in C001 & C003 Commons Tunnel Level
ADULT and MULTI-GENERATIONAL STARS classes at 9:30 and 11 a.m. in C002 & C005 Commons Tunnel Level
STARS Choir at 5 p.m. in CL01 Commons Gym Level
PRAISE IN ACTION at 6:45 p.m. in Welsh Hall in Sanctuary building
BUDDY BREAK on November 4, 6:30 p.m. in Commons Tunnel Level
Friday Night Fun on November 4, 6:30 p.m. in Commons Gym Level
SUNDAY MORNING FOUNDATIONS, 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the KMs room
WEDNESDAYS large group gathering, 6:45-8:15 p.m. Crossings East
SUNDAYS at 9:30 a.m. in the Crossings Sunday night Discipleship in the Crossings at 7 p.m. WEDNESDAYS from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the Crossings—Clapham main space
SUNDAYS at 10:45 a.m. in the Crossings Building Gospel Friendships, Shaping Biblical Convictions HOME GROUPS: Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. Bible Study of Romans
MOM2MOM
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14: Large Group in Commons Hall 9:30-11 a.m.
Theme for the month: instilling contentment and thankfulness in moms and kids
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28: Park Playdate at East Street Park in Winfield, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5: in Commons Hall, 9-10:30 a.m.
These mornings are open to women of all ages and in all stages of life. They include a short teaching and testimony as well as time around tables with discussion questions. We hope to create a space where women can get to know each other and have meaningful and relevant conversations as we talk this year about what it looks like to love our neighbors.
Morning: 9:30-11 a.m.
Evening: 6:45-8:15 p.m.
This fall, we’re studying the Book of Deuteronomy. Through this last book of the Pentateuch, we see the un folding story of redemption as God chooses a people to set apart for his specific purposes. We’ll look at this Old Testament book through a New Testament lens, seeking to better understand God’s revelation of himself and what this means for us today. The Christmas Celebration is November 30.
Next spring, we look forward to diving into Luke’s Gospel and seeing the compassion of Christ revealed. We antici pate a joyful and fruitful journey together this year. To register, visit our website.
MEN’S BIBLE STUDY
6:45-8:15 p.m.
Commons C002 (tunnel level)
This fall, both Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies will study the Book of Deuteronomy. There’s no registration needed, and we look forward to seeing you as we gather around God’s Word together. Our hope is to cultivate a hunger for God and an ability to handle God’s Word in daily life.
Next spring, we will study the Gospel of Luke together.
Enjoy breakfast, fellowship and a word of testimony, November 12, Commons Hall at 7:30 a.m.
Know someone new to College Church? If so, invite them to join you for a casual lunch in the Narthex (the Sanctuary Lobby) catered by Jason’s Deli on Sunday, November 13 at noon. Lunch is on us! Come and meet pastors and staff, learn about College Church and find out how you can get involved. Help us plan by checking the box on the online connect panel, use the QR code, or by emailing welcome@college-church.org
A landing place for you to grow in Christian community and launching pad to send you out in the ministry and mission of the church. Weekly gatherings and events. For more information, contact Kaitie Girgis at kgirgis@ college-church.org .
Mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety and other problems with mood stability are real and need compassionate support. Living Grace and Family Grace are support groups that will meet about twice a month on Monday nights. Living Grace is meant for the person who is living with the pain of difficult mental and emotional issues; Family Grace is for the person who has a loved one who struggles with these issues. For a schedule or more information, email gracegroups@collegechurch.org , or register using the QR code.
Volunteers welcome, meet at 8:30 a.m. in Commons for fall cleanup on Saturday, November 12, box lunch provided. Register at college-church.org/events
Join the senior adults (55+) of College Church as we enjoy a delicious dinner, followed by a lively program— from educational to inspirational to musical. Join us on November 11 for a special Veteran’s Day program. The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 and the program at 7 p.m. Reservations are required by November 8 by emailing keenagers@college-church.org .
Has the loss of a loved one left you wondering how you will survive the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas? Come be encouraged about dealing with loss during the holiday season. This special GriefShare seminar will be held Monday, November 14, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Commons Hall. For more information, contact Christy at ext. 175 or griefshare@college-church.org,
Thursday evenings beginning January 12–February 23, 2023 at 6 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at a home nearby. Cost is $20, space is limited. For more information, contact Mary Gieser at maryegieser@gmail.com or (630) 668-5773.
There’s a lot to love about Thanksgiving, good food being one of the mainstays, that and connecting with friends and loved ones at the same time. And the foods of that day reappearing in variations as leftovers is something I enjoy. This year Advent begins that weekend, and College Church’s Thanksgiving Eve service provides us with a service that many rank as one of their favorites. That service, followed by our Sweet Time, begins the weekend feasting. There’s also a first-ever art show in the Crossings and a carol sing there as well that weekend.
But this holiday also has an underside that can be difficult and painful for many. Whatever tensions or disappointments life has delivered can easily magnify. Family divisions can be uncomfortable challenges as families gather or not. Those who mourn may do so with great intensity on this holiday, so we do have a “surviving the holid ays” edition of GriefShare. This issue of Connections can provide somewhat of a balm for the beginning of this season’s expectations and joys and disappointments. There’s Heather Owen’s frank and delightful story on prayer. Katherine Baylis’s quietly revelatory piece on Brother Andrew. David Seaman’s discussion with David Setran on his new book and two historical paths of family life that have shaped us all. And Keith Bodger’s piece resonates with sin being like those annoying burrs of autumn. I love Jonathan Carswell’s suggestions for books to give to others. The impulse to give is always welcome, but perhaps never so much as when we consider the help we provide through the Thanksgiving Eve projects selected by our board of missions and highlighted in this issue. Wallace Alcorn’s piece puts our focus where it should be all the time, on Jesus, author and finisher. I’ll end this paragraph considering Pat Cirrincione’s tears, not of holiday disappointment, but of ultimate joy as the words of “Amazing Grace” come to eternal life as she recalls the good news coming to her the hour she first believed. Thank you, writers.
Savor these gifts from our church writers throughout November and let’s head into the holiday season with fresh perspective and an eye to the “uh ohs” that may be coming to us or those around us. Let us together guard our hearts and minds.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)
Most gracious God by whose knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew; We yield thee unfeigned thanks and praise for the return of seed-time and harvest, for the increase of the ground and the gathering in of the fruits thereof, and for all other blessings of thy merciful providence bestowed upon this nation and people. And, we beseech thee, give us a just sense of these great mercies; such as may appear in our lives by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days…
from The Book of Common Prayer, revised in 1928
Bible) is tied to our human experience of the created world and of cultivating it. The prayer celebrates God’s providence in broken soil, spring dew, planting and harvest. It assumes that we don’t need to look far beyond our back doors to see God’s provision and that giving thanks does not need to be “feigned” or drummed up. The prayer asks that this profound sense of God’s great mercies will bubble over into humble obedience.
I came across this prayer as I was thinking about celebrating Thanksgiving in the coming weeks. The prayer (like many of the stories and images in the
I resonate with the beauty and the truth of this prayer. At the same time, I haven’t really lived the experience it describes. I don’t have dirt under my nails and muck boots on my porch. Not many of us are farmers anymore. At least not those of us living in the Chicago suburbs or in the heart of Hanoi, Vietnam. It can be difficult for us to appreciate the extent of
a farmer’s labors or the degree to which he must depend upon God for circumstances outside of his own control. We can only imagine spending months at back-breaking work in the spring chill and the summer heat just to see our crops wither for lack of rain or wash away in a flood or be riddled by pests.
When we pluck our produce from the refrigerated shelves at a supermarket, we forget that the food sustaining us required dirt and sun and water and, above all, the kindness of God to grow. If we think about it at all, we might be thankful that berries are in season or that chicken is on sale. We risk losing a deep sense of dependence upon God’s mercy to meet our needs. If we lose this sense of dependence upon God, we drift ever so gradually to depending upon ourselves. I feel this temptation, and it has made me thankful for the things in my own experience that remind me of my dependence and of God’s great mercy to me.
I am two generations removed from farmers, but my grandpa and my dad were determined gardeners. I say “determined” because northern Michigan summers are short, the soil is rocky, and the chipmunks are voracious. Eventually, my dad plowed his garden under and planted a hardy sort of grass. It was just too much work with too uncertain a reward.
We have reconnected with farming through my husband’s students. Daniel is a professor and the academic dean at Hanoi Bible College, which opened in 2013 with 25 students. Now the school has 84 graduates and 85 current students. They meet in the bustling center of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Daniel teaches in Vietnamese because that is the shared language at the school. Most of his students, however, are H’mong, Dao, San Chi, Muong or other minority ethnic groups. They come to Hanoi from the mountains which rise above the Red River Delta and form the border with China and Laos. When the students are at home in their villages, they eke out a living growing corn and rice and root vegetables in terraced fields on the sides of the mountains. After the work in the fields is finished, they teach and serve their congregations.
Over the years, we’ve prayed for students dealing with homes destroyed by mudslides, water buffalo killed in an unusual cold snap, and family members badly injured in farming accidents. We’ve also rejoiced when harvests were plentiful, and villages prospered. We visited one church that was celebrating the completion of their new building. They were especially excited about having a tiled, concrete floor instead of the usual well-swept dirt floor. The pastor’s residence was a lean-to off the back with an open fire for cooking. He joyfully showed us a pig snuffling in a stall next door and destined for a village feast the following day.
All this is so different from our everyday life in a modern, global city. The students allow us a glimpse into the special awareness farmers have of their dependence upon God and the gratitude they naturally feel when God protects and sustains them. They live near to the margin, but they also live near to their Provider. While I am thankful that I have been able to enter into the experience of the students through their stories and prayer requests, it is still a secondhand experience. There is something even nearer that reminds me of our family’s dependence upon a merciful God—support raising.
Support raising is a part of the ministry of most missionaries, but it rarely shows up in our stories except as an appeal at the end. We shrink from talking about it because we feel the weight of a million ways to offend or to make conversations uncomfortable. I’ve felt this weight and sometimes wearied of it. On the other hand, receiving support provides a constant reminder of God’s goodness to us through the kindness and generosity of his people. We have an “invisible shield” protecting us from the temptation to trust in ourselves or in our own labor. We work hard at the tasks God has given us, and we receive a regular salary from our organization, but at the same time, we know our income depends fully upon God’s provision.
I had a conversation recently with family members who were lamenting the rising costs of fuel, food and other essentials (something we’ve all felt). They expressed frustration that their hard-earned savings were dwindling far more quickly than they expected. As a retired couple, continued on next page
they felt powerless to earn more. Naturally, they were anxious and even a bit angry at this sense of helplessness. In the middle of that conversation, I realized the true blessing that living on support has been. We do not have the illusion that our resources are self-earned. We are deeply aware that they are God-given. You might say that we’ve grown used to helplessness—to dependence.
As Americans we love independence, and we boast about self-reliance. We celebrate clever entrepreneurs and savvy investors. While it is admirable to value hard work and delight in a job well-done, these things can betray us. They can lead us to believe that we are responsible for our success and for our circumstances and even for our future.
There is unexpected freedom in dependence upon God. Small children don’t worry about where their clothing or food will come from. They depend upon their parents. Jesus calls his followers to this kind of dependence. He tells us to stop and look at the birds of the air. Although they do not plant or harvest or store up provisions, God feeds them. Of course, Jesus says, people are even more precious to God than the birds (see Matthew 6:26). Jesus isn’t telling us not to work. He is telling us that in our working and in our resting we must trust God. We must depend on him. This dependence quiets our anxious thoughts and stills our fretful pacing. Dependence allows us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) because we are confident that God will supply all we need.
I’ve recently been working part-time as a content writer for the online resource Bibles.net. When the first paycheck showed up in our account, I remember thinking, “Wow, finally money that is really mine.” In that moment, I was shocked at myself. I felt very Gollum-like, clutching numbers in a bank account like my very own ring of power. For more than twenty years, God has met every need we’ve had and then some. Our salary, given by God’s people, has always been enough. Why was I suddenly so gleeful about the opportunity to do things on my own?
For that matter, why did I even think that it was on my own? God had provided the relationship that provided the job that provided the income. He provided my education and created me with a love for words (and grammar and punctuation). He gave me time and creativity and clarity to communicate. How did my small role suddenly become so supreme?
It isn’t wrong to work hard and to be rewarded for that work. It isn’t wrong to enjoy those rewards. These are good impulses that come naturally to us as image bearers. God himself celebrated a job well done (Genesis 1-2). The problem arises when we begin thinking that we are doing the work on our own and that our successes and rewards belong to us by rights. I feel this danger because I know how easily my good desire for order can become an unhealthy need to control. I’ve seen how my good delight in work well done can become merely selfish pride. When we forget that we are fully dependent upon God, we so easily drift toward depending on ourselves. Without even realizing it, we begin to make mini gods of ourselves. Suddenly, the future lies in our hands, and we are terrified of it.
Dependence upon God for our immediate needs breeds gratitude. When our needs are met (again and again and again), we are filled with thankfulness to God. We do not have to scratch our heads to remember what we are thankful for because the very roof over our heads and food in front of us bears witness to God’s goodness. Our sense of God’s great mercy can be seen in our lives as we walk in humble, holy obedience, faithfully doing the various tasks he has given us. This is what the Book of Common Prayer calls us to remember and to pray.
Like my dad, I sometimes think of plowing the garden under and letting it go to grass. I feel drawn to work that doesn’t involve uncertainty and variables outside of my control. I weary of the awkwardness of needing support from others. Then I recall that my need is a blessing. It is a string around my finger reminding me of my dependence upon God. Like the farmer who praises God when the barometer rises, we are moved to gratitude when we check our account each month. We are humbled and encouraged and blessed. College Church, as our sending church, plays a significant role in that as do many dear friends in the congregation. Thank you for being the means by which God has provided for us. Thank you also for helping to remind us of our good dependence upon him.
“When we forget that we are fully dependent upon God, we so easily drift toward depending on ourselves.”
material poverty that plague the poor in the Dominican Republic. A significant portion of our students are Haitian immigrants who are particularly subject to injustice and severe neglect.” This project was submitted by missionary, Vic Trautwein.
The Irpin Bible Church (IBC) began new outreach centers to minister to residents and refugees of the greater Irpin area. IBC leaders provide humanitarian aid while using the centers as new church plants. Most of the people served have never been to church before, and some have already become Christians. Support will help these centers provide safety, food, gospel teaching and gifts to young children at Christmas. This project was submitted by missionary, Charley Warner.
Support will assist national church leaders in a closed access nation to develop pastoral skills to biblically address difficult life issues faced by members of their congregations. This will be accomplished through providing trauma care workshops for the development of group facilitators and in the translation of a Scripture-based trauma healing booklet. The missionary writes, “We expect this training to continue, spreading more widely within the country.” This project was in response to national church leaders’ requests to “see Scripture used effectively and deeply” in their communities. This project was submitted by a missionary in a closed access nation.
Your gifts may be placed in the offering boxes at the back of the Sanctuary using the Thanksgiving Offering envelopes that will arrive in your mailboxes this month, dropped off at the church office or given online. One hundred percent of your gifts will be distributed to these projects.
Thankful for your partnership!
These scholarships will provide spiritual, academic, and physical education, food, medical care, dental care, etc. for the 35 new four-year-old students who will enroll in the ANIJA School in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. Students are selected based on need. Vic Trautwein writes, “Many are likely to suffer from issues related to spiritual and
It was twenty years ago this past January that I first heard the hymn “Amazing Grace.” I remember it as if it were just yesterday.
I remember the week after Christmas, when I had made my profession of faith in front of everyone at the midnight mass back in 2001, and I broke down crying as I stood at the lectern to do the reading. How was I to know, that within two weeks’ time I would be sitting in a worship service at College Church listening to this song that described “a wretch like me.”
Truthfully, I had not intended to write this story. I was pretty sure I was going to write about the “bent woman” in Luke 13:10-12, or about the rebellion in the Bible and how God holds an olive branch out to his people in hopes that they will take a hold of it, follow him, and quit sinning. However, God had a different story for me to write as John Newton’s
hymn kept floating through my mind as I tried to sleep. The words nudging me awake as God kept reminding me of this wonderful gift he had given me so long ago in a brand-new church, surrounded by a Christian community I still knew nothing about.
Back to January 2002. I was sitting in a pew with a friend when the hymn began:
Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now I’m found Was blind but now I see.
Seriously? How did God know about me? I was clueless about the sovereignty of God, but he did know that I was a wretch and that I had been lost—and he found me, even though I had steered so far from him and didn’t know who he really was. I was so very blind. If I read the Bible, it was all gibberish to me. A totally foreign language that I couldn’t understand at all. But slowly he allowed me to see more of who he was, and what I had become, without even being aware of how far I had traveled away from him. But I digress.
I’m embarrassed to say that my first Sunday at College Church, I probably disturbed people sitting around me. At first, I was just quietly crying, and then some rather loud sobs
erupted from my inner being. I tried to restrain myself, but I suddenly felt so blessed and loved and in awe of this mighty God who had saved my life! So, forgive me if you were one of the church members sitting next to me in the early days of my salvation, I really wasn’t a nut case who was about to lose it all. It was just at that moment I knew that I was being redeemed into a new creation and into a new life and it was quite a shock to my system.
The hour I first believed God’s grace “taught my heart to fear, and his grace my fears relieved.” That gift was, and still is, so precious to me. It continues to bring me through many “dangers, toils, and snares” and I know that it will continue until it brings me home.
However, until that happens, I continue to fight the sin battle while on this earth, but I no longer feel lost and adrift like I did those many years ago, when I wanted to try something new and experience as much of life’s smorgasbord as possible. Now I want to experience him, through his Word. I love knowing that I can talk to him about anything on my mind, just as David did in the psalms.
Without God’s love, I might be in a whole different place right now. I have lost wonderful parents and just as wonderful in-laws. I’ve lost wonderful aunts who were there for our family in every way my parents were. I have lost two of my dearest friends and close cousins. When my dad passed away, his new wife spread lies about me to the rest of my family, and all but one aunt and her family stopped talking to me; the rest of the family judged me and never asked for my side of the story.
Our third granddaughter has suffered seizures due to the incompetency of the medical staff at the hospital that did not treat her correctly and she not only had a seizure but a stroke while they did nothing. To top it all off, a medication I took created a fibroid in my breast to turn into a mushroom. This occurred in March last year, and it took the doctors until September to remove it. I thank the Lord that during that time things did not get worse but, because the medical staff did not listen to me about my drug sensitivity, I had a lengthy recovery that could have been avoided. In the end, I had stage zero, non-invasive breast cancer, and was told that I did not need to go for any treatment unless I chose to do so to be on the safe side. I opted for fifteen days of radiation, where I learned to focus exclusively on God while I received treatment. Through it all I had my immediate family, church friends and God to rely on (not in that order). All this to say that
Satan will throw anything he can at you to let you think that God doesn’t care about you. Don’t fall for his lies.
Remember God’s amazing grace that he shows us again and again in his Word. You can count on him. He has been my saving grace through all of this and more, and if there is one huge thing (among many) that I have learned it is this: When Jesus first saw someone, he looked at them; then he answered their request, which gave them hope. That’s what he has done with me: he saw me all along! And he taught me how to pray and gave me hope in him in every facet of my life, even knowing that my past would be used for future stories of grace. I am now doing what he always wanted me to do, loving him and trying to do his will—although he still has to hit me over the head every now and then to let me know that I need to do what he is asking of me.
I’ve learned not to fall into the depths of despair when dangers, toils and snares that surround us go on the attack. God’s amazing grace will bring you to safety and safely home to him. I am so glad he saved me from myself and the risks I used to take so easily. Was it worth it to sing my praises instead of praising my God and Savior? No, it wasn’t. I would now rather take the risks he wants me to take, instead of hiding and procrastinating with all the detours life throws our way. I’d rather listen to him.
I guess all along I was that bent woman, being crushed by the follies of life. But the words to “Amazing Grace” remind me that it is God who has brought me safe thus far and it’s his grace that will lead me home.
The Friday afternoon rush hour traffic on the outbound Eisenhower again came to a halt. I grabbed my notepad and scribbled the questions I had just tried to answer on my live call-in a program called “Dial the Pastor.” WMBI, the flagship radio station of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where I was teaching, broadcast these weekly so listeners could ask any question they wish about the Bible and the Christian life. My producer usually pushed as many calls through as possible, but that day he held it to three. They were compelling and were desperately asked.
My first caller was a discour aged middle-age, mid-level executive of a national firm. He was on the fast track pro fessionally and half-way up the corporate ladder of suc cess—licking the feet of those above and stepping on the fingers of those beneath. He was serially successful but never finally so. He was mov ing up without ever arriving.
His question was: “Where am I supposed to be going, anyway?” He lacked a sense of purpose.
My next caller was a young woman PhD candidate in philosophical theology at the University of Chicago. She had been in and out of one religion after another. Initially, each seemed attractive, but she soon recognized most had some competing answers, but none offered the final answer.
She asked: “Is there anything I can really believe in?” This woman was searching for meaning
My final caller had neither the achievements of the first caller nor the knowledge of the second. She was just an ordinary, worn-out woman abused by every man in her wretched life and abandoned with nothing to show for her fatal risks.
Her question was, “Is life really worth living?” She longed for just a little worth in her inconsequential life.
“ Where am I supposed to be going, anyway?”
“Is there anything I can really believe in?”
“Is life really worth living?”
As I wrote them down, it came to me these actually were one question asked from peculiar perspectives. All asked if there is anything real. Is there any purpose or meaning or worth in life? None of these was living—just existing. All three felt purposeless, meaningless and worthless.
With further thought, the answer dawned on me. And it is but one answer, because these were one question: What is real?
Not surprisingly, the answer came from Jesus. What embarrasses me is I had known the answer all my life: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
“Where am I supposed to be going, anyway?”: “I am the Way.”
“Is there anything I can really believe in?”: “I am the Truth .”
“Is life really worth living?”: “I am the Life .”
This is purpose and meaning and worth: Jesus Christ. This is what is real; this is reality.
This is what Jesus told his disciples, and this is what he is telling us now: We experience reality in the person of Jesus Christ.
When I was in third grade, my teacher asked the class to think of what we would like to be when we grew up. She also said if you could not put it into one sentence it would probably never happen. Well, since I had little chance of being a back up singer for the Supremes, I told myself I wanted to be an art teacher. It took time but I was able to reach my third-grade goal.
Behind the goal of being an art teacher, I wanted to be an artist.
Now I see we all are artists.
We all create in our own way and Genesis 1:1 states that in the beginning God created
Every time we create we are celebrating the name Jesus.
Call the church office or email info@college-church.org for details on these prayer meetings.
Sunday Morning Prayer 8:15-8:40 a.m. in C101
Monday Morning Prayer 6:15-7:15 a.m. Board Room
Wednesday Night Prayer (Zoom only) 7-8 p.m.
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER
Jeff & Tamara Hershberger
Jim & Lynette Hatcher
Thanksgiving Eve Service
Chuck & Anita Howard
Friday Prayer for the Persecuted Church (Board Room) 12-1 p.m. Led by Wil and Lorraine Triggs. The weekly prayer guide is also available at our website: https://bit.ly/3vzdcAz
Will meet on Thursday, November 10, at 1:30 p.m. in C101. We hope you will be able to join us as we pray for our missionaries.
Will meet in December to pray for a group of crosscultural workers College Church helps to support. Join us in the Patio Dining Room at Covenant Living at Windsor Park on North Avenue in Carol Stream. Both men and women are welcome to visit or to join the group.
will meet on Thursday, December 1, at 7 p.m. at the home of Eric and Marilyn Enstrom, 1460 Stoddard Avenue in Wheaton, (630) 682-9341. Our guests will be Daniel and Victoria, serving in Asia.
Our Prayer Pulse email goes out every Monday. You can get prayer updates via that email. Sign up by clicking “Enews signup” on our website. If you already receive other emails from College Church, click “manage my preferences” at the bottom of any email and select Prayer Pulse to add yourself.
David Seaman sat down with Setran to talk about his new book.
Parenting guidance sometimes feels timeless, but what we perceive as important for Christian parenting today is the result of centuries of debates and discussions. In a fascinating new historical study Christian Parenting: Wisdom and Perspectives from American History , College Church member and elder David Setran reports on the varying ways American Protestants took up the task of childrearing in the colonial and Victorian eras (i.e., 17th to 19th centuries). By looking at the past, Setran shows how Christian parents can raise their children now and in the future.
What made you want to write a book about the history of Christian parenting?
So many reasons! Scripture is obviously quite clear on the importance of parenting.
Proverbs 22:6 reminds us that parents are to “raise up a child in the way he should go.” Other passages, such as Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 78, point out that we are to teach God’s commands to our children at all times and to remind them of the wondrous
deeds of the Lord. All of this is important not only for individual families but also for the long-term growth and continuation of our faith. In fact, Psalm 78 talks about how this parenting task is important for the next generation and for the children yet to be born! Scripture also provides us with many examples of parenting gone wrong (and the terrible consequences both for individual families and for the larger nation). And research just confirms the importance of Christian parenting.
The spiritual formation of children in Christian households is more important than ever in an increasingly secularized world. Sociologist Christian Smith confirms that parents are by far the most important influence shaping their children’s faith, even more so than Christian schools and youth groups. While many books have been written on the topic of Christian parenting, few draw on the wisdom of the past.
I started getting interested in all of this because I was reading the Puritans and recognized that they had so much to offer when it came to thinking about how to raise up our children in the faith. As a father, I am always on the lookout for resources that can help me think about my role as a parent. History helps us to see how we’ve gotten to where we are, and it also provides new principles, perspectives and practices for us to consider as we take part in this important work.
Tell us about the time periods you chose, and why.
The book looks at the colonial era (from the early 1600s to the mid-1700s) and the Victorian era (from about 1830 to 1890). I chose those two because they reflect different approaches to Christian parenting that have had a longlasting influence. Colonial Christian parents emphasized content heavy religious practices in the home—worship, family devotions, prayer, and catechism training. They also emphasized fathers as the primary spiritual leaders of the home. By the Victorian era, parents emphasized a nurturing and relational home environment, giving more weight to modeling and to the creation of a happy and loving household. Writers in this era elevated mothers as the most important parent guiding the spiritual nurture of their children.
Scholars have pointed out that most contemporary Chris tians—across wide range denominational perspectives— have largely adopted the Victorian approach. Most believe the parents’ primary responsibility is simply to serve as good models and provide loving relationships so that the faith will be “caught” rather than “taught.”
What was the primary goal of colonial parenting?
It is pretty clear that colonial parents were most concerned about their children’s salvation. This is because they held a very strong view of original sin, believing that their children were spiritually dead and in need of a “new heart.”
Puritan preachers did not want parents to be satisfied with behavioral conformity, with compliant children who obeyed all the rules. They were also concerned that some parents might just assume that children would inherit the parents’ faith. Reminding parents that many godly parents in the Bible had children who wandered far from the Lord, they urged them to be vigilant in seeing each child come to a personal and saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
How did colonial parents approach Christian practices in the home?
For colonial parents, family devotions—or what they called family prayer—took place in the morning and evening each day. The rhythm of this was meant to reflect the truth of Psalm 92, which calls upon believers to proclaim God’s love in the morning and his faithfulness at night. These times together were not long, but they always included a short reading of Scripture, the singing of a psalm or hymn, and a time of prayer. Parents also made concerted efforts to teach their children to pray from an early age, taking their needs and requests to the Lord. The Puritans really emphasized the need for a personal and relational connection to God. Prayer, therefore, was the culmination of every other spiritual activity. Bible reading, singing, and even catechism training was always to lead to prayer.
What lessons can we learn from the colonial emphasis on Christian teaching within the home? Is this a lost practice in contemporary homes?
Colonial pastors and leaders really emphasized the importance of parents serving as Christian teachers for their children. The primary vehicle for this was the catechism, which taught children in question-and-answer format the key doctrines of the faith. They wanted to give children a theological language through which they could interpret the world around them. Interestingly, current research on religious families shows that most parents don’t see this as a parent’s responsibility. This is in part because they think that this is the responsibility of other agencies, such as Sunday schools and youth groups.
But studies also show that most parents just don’t think that biblical and theological teaching is very important. They believe that faith is “caught” rather than “taught” and that the only responsibility for parents is to model the faith effectively. There may be significant losses here, however. Children do need a biblical and theological vocabulary to counter the false narratives around them.
It is also true that teaching and talking about the faith is an important means by which parents communicate the importance of faith to their children. If parents place all their emphasis on academics and very little on learning the foundations of faith, children are likely to pick up on the relative importance of these things. It is simply true that what we talk about repeatedly is what becomes most important to us. Children and youth become very fluent in the language of popular culture. If they don’t also develop and speak the language of faith, it is likely that faith won’t seem very real to them.
What were some of the biggest changes that took place in Christian parenting in the 1800s? What has been the legacy of those changes?
One of the bigger changes related to views of children. Colonial parents and pastors tended to emphasize children’s sinful nature, recognizing that they needed the power of the Holy Spirit to revive dead hearts. By the mid19th century, two other views were becoming increasingly common among Protestants. Some saw children as neutral
and motherhood became a married woman’s primary role. Fathers, on the other hand, were now more often leaving the home for their paid employment. Many would say that fathers’ parenting roles went from being a “pedagogue” (teacher) to a “provider” and a “playmate” for their children. They still often presided over formal family devotions, but most of the day-to-day spiritual nurture was given over to mothers.
blank slates, ready to be shaped by whatever environments surround them. Others saw children as angelic cherubs, more spiritual than their elders and models of the purity and simplicity of faith. In either case, many began to put more emphasis upon early childhood impressions and the importance of the home environment for raising up children in the faith. In fact, many now believed that parents completely determined whether their children would embrace the faith or not. Much emphasis was placed upon the development of a happy home in a loving and nurturing space that would provide the ideal environment for children to grow as Christians. This highlighted the importance of close and intimate ties between parents and children. It also highlighted the fact that the Holy Spirit could work through the daily rhythms of the home and not simply in instantaneous conversion experiences. At the same time, it could at times make it seem as if all children needed was a nurturing home environment rather than the redemptive power of God in awakening the child’s soul.
Were mothers or were fathers given the primary respon sibility for the Christian nurture of their children? What shifts have taken place, and how has that influenced the roles of mothers and fathers in the present?
This was one of the most fascinating aspects of my study. In the colonial era, fathers were seen as the chief Christian educators and disciplinarians in the family. They were labeled as the priests of the home, leading family devotions and taking on primary responsibility for catechism training. By the mid-19th century, mothers had taken over much of this spiritual responsibility. Some of this was due to economic changes. As the production of food, clothing and other goods moved outside of the home, women had more time to devote to their children
Many began to argue that mothers’ love and purity made them the better parent for Christian nurture, especially when people began to see early childhood as the most important time of spiritual development. This shift has had a long-lasting impact on the way people view Christian parenting. More recent studies show that children still see their mothers as far more influential in their spiritual growth than their fathers. And many would argue that the shifts that took place in this era changed the way that fathers see the home. While in colonial times, the home would have been seen as a place of work and ministry and discipleship of children, by the mid-19th century it was viewed more as a place of rest and refreshment for men, a place to counteract the toil of the workplace. What does history tell us about the potential problems of idolizing children and the family?
Colonial Christian authors—particularly the Puritans— were incredibly God-centered. They obviously loved their children deeply and invested time in their development, but pastors were also repeatedly warning parents not to turn their children and their families into idols. They wanted parents to know that they were stewards rather than owners of their children and that they were raising them up to fulfill God’s purposes rather than their own. They also wanted parents to know that their primary allegiance was to the larger church and covenant community rather than just their individual families. By the mid-19th century, such warnings largely stopped. More and more emphasis was placed upon the individual nuclear family and the development of a home filled with warmth and close family bonds between siblings and between parents and children. This really did highlight the importance of a close family, something recent research has demonstrated is an important factor in determining whether children will embrace their parents’ faith. At times, however, it made it appear that the Christian faith was valued only because it created better family relationships. It also made it more likely that the family would take on exclusive responsibility for raising up the child. Less emphasis was placed on the church as the child’s spiritual family, a community that would help to nurture the child in the faith and provide spiritual brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and grandparents to assist parents in this important work.
“They wanted parents to know that they were stewards rather than owners of their children and that they were raising them up to fulfill God’s purposes rather than their own.”
What are some main themes you hope readers will take away from your book?
The two time periods I studied set forth different versions of what it meant to be a “good” Christian parent. In the end, both are so important. Children desperately need the formal teaching and worship that the colonial preachers and parents so valued, helping children understand the faith and move into a deep dialogical relationship with God. They also need the modeling and loving relationships of parents and families who seek to demonstrate the care of a heavenly Father. Both approaches demonstrate true parental love. Parents teach because they want to help children understand true goodness and avoid the perils of Satan’s lies. They pray because they know that true spiritual blessing depends on God’s lavish grace in their children’s lives. They discipline because they want to protect children from things that can keep them from
Lina Sharon June was born to Pastor Josh and Caitlin Maurer on October 5. Lina joins her siblings Natalie, Celia, Annabelle and Tobin . Wyatt Jefferson was born to Jeff and Rachel Kondraschow on October 5. Wyatt joins his siblings Hudson, Katarina and Seth .
true joy. They create loving environments because they want to put God’s embracing love on display. Ultimately, through all of this, they seek to serve as Christ’s ambassadors, placing their children into the loving arms of the One whose love will never fail.
“Christian Parenting” is published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company and is available at the College Church bookstall.
Pray for Shelton (Marianne) Thompson, III and family as they grieve the loss of Shelton’s father, Shelton Thompson, Jr., who passed away on October 6. Shelton is the AV director at College Church.
Pray for Steve (Robin) Wiper and family as their grieve the loss of Steve’s mother, Jean , who passed away on Friday, September 30, in Colorado.
the media ministry of College Church, features the Bible teaching of Pastor Josh, both online and on the radio. This exciting ministry with a global reach continues to grow in impact. Here in the US, the program is heard on the radio in about 70 locations.
Globally, the ministry also has a mission impact. The teaching is heard online through the OnePlace and TWR360 platforms, which have extensive listenership outside North America. Imagine! More than 35,000 people have been touched with some form of gospel content through this outreach of our church, either an online audio message, a spiritually encouraging article, or a devotional reading.
You can listen locally on Moody Radio (WMBI) at 10 p.m. M-F and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday and can have daily devotionals delivered right to your inbox.
Your prayers and partnership with this ministry are greatly appreciated.
godcenteredlife.org
I didn’t fully realize the extent to which I love my books until I boxed them up to move a couple months ago. There were three books, however, that were packed separately in a canvas bag to keep them extra safe. They were Plato’s Republic , Dante’s Inferno and Brother Andrew’s God’s Smuggler . I don’t have any particular affection for Plato, but that copy has extensive annotations that I could never replicate. Anyone who’s spent more than five minutes around me knows I love Dante so that one is self-explanatory. But Brother Andrew’s book has a special place in my heart for entirely different reasons.
That paperback book has a beat-up vintage cover that’s so worn that the corners have become rounded. The spine is streaked with lines where it has been broken several times over from years of use. Thanks to a very kind librarian at my high school, there’s now a hard plastic piece that covers the entirety of the cover and spine to reinforce it, so it doesn’t fall apart completely. The first page of the book is reinforced with a thick, white piece of tape that keeps the book block attached to the cover. But its fragile nature alone is not what makes it so precious to me. The book belonged to my father, Douglas Edward Baylis, who passed away when I was a baby. I never knew him, but what I do have of him are stories, photos and relics like this book that give me hints at the things he cared about and held dear.
I think without realizing it, I have for many years subcon sciously imagined that if I had known my father he would have been like Brother Andrew. The way Brother Andrew talks about his life and his conversations with God is warm and honest. His humor is dry, and he leads with his heart, perhaps a little too much at times. Over the years I’ve held Brother Andrew’s advice and stories about God’s provi sion as close to my heart as if they were advice from my own father.
Most of the scenes that are burned into my memory revolve around Andrew’s struggles to trust God’s provision in his finances. There are several scenarios that come to mind from the book, but one that I have a renewed appreciation for is his qualms about finances after entering into a theological program. This is what he prayed:
“Lord, I need to know if I can trust You in practical things.
I thank You for letting me earn the fees for the first semester.
I ask You now to supply the rest of them. If I have to be so much as a day late in paying, I shall know that I am supposed to go back to the chocolate factory.” (pp. 65-66)
He continues to comment,
“It was a childish prayer, petulant and demanding. But then I was still a child in the Christian life. The remarkable thing is that God honored my prayer. But not without first testing me in some rather amusing ways.” (p. 66)
This attitude towards prayer was wild to me when I first read it in tenth grade. The idea that you could ask God for practical things and that he would provide them felt fantastical. It seemed like something that only happened in the Bible or, on rare occasions, to ultraspiritual missionaries. This passage lay dormant yet still emblazoned in my memory for many years until a year ago when I tried to apply to grad programs.
thin air. A door was opened for provision, but he had to choose to give up a small comfort to walk through it. It required an act of obedience.
I remember sitting at my desk at work, on the verge of tears because I didn’t know if I could attend the grad program
I thought God was calling me to. Brother Andrew’s stories immediately came to mind out of nowhere. He gave me the boldness I needed to ask God for help to pay for grad school. “If this is where you want me, I’ll take the step,”
I prayed, “but I need a sign that this is the right direction. If you can provide x dollars for tuition, I will go and trust that you’ll help me figure the rest out.” I don’t know that I even remembered what Andrew prayed exactly, but it felt like what he would say.
When I opened my computer again, there in my email inbox was a letter from the director of my program saying that they were offering me a scholarship. I resonate with Andrew’s comment that God tests us in amusing ways because I remember looking up and muttering under my breath, “I hope you found that funny.” I’d spent the whole morning whining like a child to God and yet he still provided. I was so stunned that happy tears just started pouring down my face and I ran down three flights of stairs to tell my friend what had happened.
I hit another financial boulder a month ago and another Brother Andrew story popped into my head. Where it is in the book I could not tell you, but I remember it as clearly as when I first read it. Andrew had not yet begun his work smuggling Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. He was home in Holland, standing outside his house and contemplating how he was going to raise money to go on his next trip. He prayed that God would provide a source of money for him. Amidst his prayer, he looked down at his cigarette he was smoking and realized that as a Dutchman he smoked quite a lot. So, he begrudgingly quit smoking and ended up being able to save up enough money to make his trip. The seemingly small decision point always stuck with me because it wasn’t like the other instances throughout his life when God miraculously provided, seemingly out of
I recently spent over a month attempting to buy a car. If you have not tried to buy a car in the last two years, there are very few cars available and those that are available are wildly overpriced. Because of the car market, I was backed into a corner of buying a car that was a little out of my budget. Just before nine, the morning that my car was supposed to arrive, I got a call from an entirely different dealership saying that they had a car on their lot that had just become available overnight. It was not as nice as the car I had planned to buy, but after some math I realized the money I’d save was significant. It may seem over-dramatic to call getting a good deal on a car God’s provision, but it all unfolded in such a way that it would be foolish to say I just got that lucky. The obedience God asked of me was to wait and trust. When the time came, giving up a small luxury seemed a small step to take.
The reason for the waiting became clearer when a variety of bizarre circumstances led me to an hour-long car ride with my car salesman from this new dealership during which he shared with me that he was a new Christian and looking for resources to help him grow in his faith. He cried as he told me his testimony and we talked about faith and Scripture the entire drive back to the dealership. I got back to my office which has wall-to-wall bookshelves brimming with Bibles and commentaries and I realized God had used the buildup of the last six weeks for that car ride with that one car salesman. And not only that, he still provided for me far more than I could have imagined.
I have been impacted by many books and many writers, but none have seeped their way into my heart the way Brother Andrew’s book has. It’s not just his stories that have stayed with me over the years but also the fundamental lessons about how to live for Christ. He has a very simple, humble way of recounting his life that makes radical faith seem normal and less daunting.
Brother Andrew’s legacy extends beyond this book to the ministry he founded, Open Doors, as well as all the lives he touched by bringing Bibles to the unreached and the persecuted church. We rejoice that he is now home with the Lord, but I know I am not alone in saying he will be dearly missed.
“Over the years I’ve held Brother Andrew’s advice and stories about God’s provision as close to my heart as if they were advice from my own father.”
And the great news is that we have gone from 12 services a week to 17—three services a day Monday-Friday, and two on Sundays. The excitement among all the SKYWORD team is palpable. We believe the Lord is truly blessing the ministry and for our part, we seek to proclaim a strong gospel message that brings all praise, honor and glory to the Lord. And the response has been remarkable.
I’d like to share some stories about the people I meet.
At a chapel service where all four people were Roman Catholics, I joked with them that I was the lone protestant. I preached a gospel message to an attorney, a retired HR director, a retired schoolteacher and a businessman. The moment I finished, one woman practically shouted out, “Awesome,” and another person replied, “Amen!”
Back in August, I told one of my colleagues that it would be a slow month, but that was then and this is now. In October, more than 500 people attended services at Midway Airport Chapel and SKYWORD Ministries had one of her best months in every respect: ministry, attendance and giving. It is a new day, post-pandemic, and the Lord is, dare I say, “rocking our ministry!” It has been fun, joyous and a whole new paradigm for us.
A few months ago, the good people of Midway Airport decided to give the chapel a whole new public address system and at the same time, they replaced the broken, non-functional speakers throughout the airport. The results were nothing shy of dramatic. Our attendance is over double what it used to be and so is the ministry and giving. Previously, a typical service was between one to three people, and if there were four, five or six people, well that was a big service. Now, our low-end attendance has been three to four folks, and we are welcoming seven to nine people, even up to 19 or 20 a service.
Or the chapel, where we sang “All Creatures of Our God and King,” with an LDS bishop in attendance that day. Recall these words to the hymn: “Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, three in one.” and you’ll understand why I had to laugh when I realized I didn’t plan it but it happened. And for those of you who don’t get it, our Mormon friends do not acknowledge and believe in the Trinity as we do, and the chapel was full of others who did!
Four women, all nurse anesthetists come into the chapel and said that they had just come from a conference for their work. Imagine the chances in trillions or octillions that the one other person who came to that particular chapel service was another woman, completely unrelated to the group, who was by profession a nurse anesthetist.
The chapel service was a wonderful ordinary one, except that David, a freshly minted Green Beret, was there. After the service, he was quite moved and thanked me profusely. By the way, he’s on a team of twelve that gets to blow up stuff.
Or what about Natasha, in her late thirties with tattoos all around her face and neck. She was a woman at the well kind of woman with a checkered past. She poured out her heart to me in the chapel office (door always open) and told me of her very real conversion but how hard it is for her at church, where many judge her for how she looks (she tried to remove the tattoos with no success) and where they didn’t spend time to see what a beautiful new woman in Christ she is becoming. She regularly communicates with me, asking questions about the Christian life and the Scriptures. She also has thanked me for taking time to respond to her. What a blessing she is. Even today I received another text from her thanking me for taking time to respond to her . . . What a blessing she has been to me, and a marvelous trophy of grace.
Another amazing thing that is happening at the chapel is that we are starting to get some regular attenders from those who work at the airport. There’s John from admin who comes up to four times a week, and Frank from safety who comes once or twice a week. Charlie with the USO comes, and so does Sandy, who brings Karen from the security agency. There’s always a marvelous response from these individuals who express great appreciation for the services. We continue to welcome pilots and flight attendants, especially from Southwest Airlines, some coming back as often as they can.
touched every day—many in the services and no small number who come to me for spiritual counsel.
We could use a lot more targeted prayer. We are on the front lines, and many come to services who don’t know the Lord or who are in sub-par churches that are probably not preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I end with this story. Pastors from Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire have recently been to chapel and loved it. We also have many priests and monastery brothers and sisters of the Roman Catholic Church who come into our chapel. Many to attend services, some, never. Recently a priest from Lithuania was in one of my services. Afterward he specifically told me, with great enthusiasm, that he so appreciated my gospel and the ways I illustrated the biblical text. He was so grateful and to say he gushed might just be the right word. What an encouragement to know of the impact we are having by God’s grace, on the lives of those in the ministry and even across big denominational lines.
I have been part of SKYWORD Ministries at Midway for more than 20 years, and the daily chaplain for the past seven and a half years. Through the years, there are travelers who come back and tell me how they were in chapel years ago and they are here again because of their positive experiences.
So, so many continue to tell us daily how much this SKYWORD chapel ministry means to them and how they heard the service announcements and felt God prompting them to find their way to the chapel. They tell me and the rest of my colleagues how the chapel service has made their day or brightened their day or lifted them up. They are grateful to us and to God for this ministry. Lives are
Pray for us and if you ever want to attend a service at the Midway Chapel or come down for a service on the third Sunday night of the month at Pacific Garden Mission, let me know. Thank you for praying and supporting me and SKYWORD MINISTRY as we seek to bring praise, honor and glory to Jesus Christ.
Back in the early 70s, for my peers and I, the fashion choice during autumn was a bush jacket. All the boys wore bush jackets. In northern Ontario, Canada, the bush was the forests surrounding the town in which you lived. We didn’t go out in the forest or out in the woods, we went out in the bush, and we wore bush jackets.
Bush jackets looked like flannel. They had a plaid pattern like flannel but were thicker than a flannel shirt. They were about a half-inch thick. Thick enough to keep you warm. It’s what you wore on cold autumn days in October and November. The threads were also thicker than cotton flannel threads. They were more like a wiry nylon filament.
Throughout North America is an invasive species called Burdock (genus Cousinia). Burdock has very broad leaves and I’ve never really noticed it during summer. But in the autumn, when the leaves fall, the Burdock seeds (also called burrs) remain on the plant. The seeds are brown and about the diameter of a dime but are spherical. They have dozens of little hooks on them that readily attach to fabric (The Burdock tree brings Genesis 3:18 to life: “thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you.”)
The Burdock seed was the inspiration for the invention of Velcro. In some languages, burdock and Velcro are the same word. Because of the hooks, Burdock seeds spread primarily through hooking onto passing animals.
As a kid, passing by these plants, the burdock seeds easily grabbed onto my bush jacket. They also found other soft fabrics, such as socks. In summer, the burrs were not fully developed, and you could brush against the leaves with no problems. But, in autumn, the burrs were fully open and would glom onto your clothing. You didn’t notice them when you hiked but when you got home, and took off your jacket, the burrs would poke your skin. Not penetrate enough to bleed, but enough to get your painful attention. Sometimes your friends or family would have to pull off the burrs that you didn’t know you had or couldn’t reach. You would have to spend time, not hours, but certainly many minutes pulling off the burrs. The larger clumps were easier to remove. It could be a group of burrs hooked onto one another. But they always left smaller hooks that became well embedded into the fabric. In a landfill somewhere, there is my old bush jacket with little burr hooks still embedded.
My sin is like an autumn burr. I brush past the sin, and it seemingly clings to me, effortlessly. Sometimes I don’t know it’s clinging to me. I could wander around for years not knowing I have this sinful clump attached to me. Others might see it or, they might not. They might feel the pain when I cannot. When I notice it, I can spend time pulling off the clumps as I attempt to stop that sin. But sometimes there’s that little bit that remains, still poking me every now and again. Sometimes I notice it when I cross my arms and the unseen burr under my arm touches the back of my hand. Or, when I get home and cross my feet on the ottoman, I can feel that burr clump at my heel. Fortunately, we may have friends or family who can lovingly point out the burrs that cling. More often than not, I suspect, we turn a blind eye to those burrs. Perhaps we hope a pastor will notice it and point it out, or it will go away on its own.
It won’t, but the good news is that when I enter heaven, I’ll be burr-free. My clothing will no longer be a plaid bush jacket but a white garment without stain or blemish (Revelation 3:4: “they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy” and Revelation 19:8: “it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”).
The lingering jabs of a remnant hook will no longer aggravate me or the ones around me. I look forward to that day. Until then, if I have a clump of autumnal burs on me, please let me know (gently).
January 13-15, 2023
College Church will be traveling again together via bus to the march in support of the preborn and their families. You may also choose to drive yourself and meet up with the group. We will share more details when the march organizers release the specific time and date.
Prayer for the Preborn Saturday, November 5, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Join Sanctity of Human Life Task force at 40 Days for Life’s year-round peaceful prayer vigil. Meet on Waterleaf pregnancy resource center’s property across from Planned Parenthood Aurora’s driveway.
Sign up to receive SOHL monthly e-newsletter to receive events schedule and life-related news. https:// college-church.org/impact/sohl/
Caring Network’s local pregnancy resource
Look for the Baby Bank Donation Crib: outside the sanctuary Nov. 6
Harbor Nov. 13
Nov. 20
Bring diapers (newborn-size 6), wipes, baby lotion, sham poo, and baby wash, diaper cream, and formula. Did your child outgrow a diaper size before you used the whole package? Opened packages of diapers also accepted.
Scan the QR Code for the Baby Bank Amazon Wish List. Select “Church of the Resurrection’s Gift Registry Address” for where to ship.
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We asked Jonathan Carswell from 10ofthose for advice on great book gifts for this year, and here is what he had to say.
By Helen Taylor
It’s really hard to beat this as a great gift for kids. Suitable for ages five-nine. It’s the well-known classic told through the voices of animals
By Stephen Lungu with Anne Coomes
This is a brilliant biography of Stephen Lungu—a member of the gang, “Black Shadows”—tasked with firebombing a local church. When he arrived at the church, the meeting had already started and something was going to happen that would change his life forever
By Sharon James
A superb introduction to understanding the world, how it sees God, and how we can take Jesus to our friends.
Two of the best books I’ve read this year are:
By Nana Dolce
This is a biblical theology of women in the Old Testament, from Genesis 3 to Mary and Elizabeth in the New Testa ment. I benefited from meditating on their stories and seeing their roles in the line of Christ.
This book has perhaps done more for my walk with God the Father than any other I’ve read. A thought provoking read that will hugely benefit your relationship with God.
Reading Between the Lines, Volumes 1 & 2
By Glen Scrivener
Parenting is busy—whatever stage the kids are at—and so we often look for something to help get us into the Bible that is edifying and refreshing, but not too long. This book is really good! Taking well known phrases from the Bible, it works you through the storyline of the Bible and you’ll fall in love with Jesus all over again.
Many grandparents may remember the writings of Patricia St John. She was a brilliant storyteller and worker for the Lord. Here she tells her own story . . . a book Rev. Dick Lucas says it is, “One of the best books he read in the last year.”
By Derek Prime
This is an A-Z of the Christian life, written by Derek Prime, who mentored Alistair Begg. Wonderfully rich, with nice large print—ideal for those who are Christians, or perhaps those just looking into the faith.
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December 4 at
December 11 at
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM December 18 at 5 p.m.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES December 24 at 4, 7 and 9 p.m.
CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICES
9:30 and 11:00 a.m.
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contact Ann Karow at: akarow@college-church.org
