Arjay's Weblog

Grady Robert Stevens

I haven't been posting much to the old blog lately as my wife and I were blessed by the arrival of our first child - a son - Grady Robert Stevens on March 14th, 2006 at Zeeland Community Hospital.

Our "li'l buddy" came into the world weighing 6 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19 inches long.  He's very healthy and has already gained about 10% of his body weight.  From the looks of his feet he'll be a tall one, like his old man.

Words fail to express the wonder and joy of such an event as this.  I was in the operating room when the doctors delivered Grady via C-section and it was awesome. 

All parents have hopes and dreams for their children, but mine for Grady are very simple;  I only hope and pray that his life may somehow, in  some way glorify Jesus Christ.  He might be a computer geek like his parents, he might be a physicist, he might be the guy who tunes up your car 18 years from now, maybe even a lowly politician - but whatever he chooses to do, my prayer is simply that it will bring glory to his Creator - which is the sole reason God's elect were created in the first place.

R.J.

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him." 
Psalm 127:3

God, make it easier for me!

What a truly depressing article I ran across in today's Sunday, March 5th edition of The Detroit News.  I had heard about churches offering electronic funds withdrawal for the purposes of tithing or church giving, but to read some of the reasons folks have for doing this is beyond sad. 

"Places of worship are delicately testing whether the Sunday collections can occur in cyberspace.  If the convenience of the faithful trumps the ritual of making offerings during religious services, members of the clergy say it would help them secure larger donations and a steadier flow of financing."

"Rendering to God" is becoming as easy as the click of a mouse.

After all that God has given to us - his rich mercy in Christ, clothing, homes, family, friends - it all comes down to making my sick, selfish life just a little bit less difficult.   And this is so in line with how many of our churches conduct themselves in 2006.  Seeker-sensitive and seeker-focused.

R.J.

No Cash?  God Takes Electronic Payments

The Five One in Hudsonville

"We want this to be a place where you guys can come and worship the way that you want to worship," J. Berends told the crowd of about 100 teenagers and 20-somethings during a break in his 35-minute concert-like opening to The Five One.  "We are culturally different than people in their 30s or 40s or whatever.  They have no clue, really."

"It's not like your normal church service, where you just sit and someone talks all the time," said Bethany Gill, a 19-year-old Michigan State University student from Grandville.  "You can go up and kneel and not feel ashamed.  It's an intimate thing because it's just like you and God.  You actually interact with God yourself."

from
I Feel Really Spiritual Here
The Grand Rapids Press
Saturday, March 4, 2006

Like totally, dude!  Hey, the last thing I wish to do is interact with God myself.  If these young skulls full of mush could get the rock concert out of their heads for a few minutes and remember what they learned in the churches they no doubt left for this party, they would probably recall that Christ is our mediator.  He is the only One so uniquely qualified in the entire universe to bridge the chasm between God and man.  To attempt to "interact with God yourself" would be similar to interacting with a 220-volt power line while standing in a pool of water - it would be instant death!  God is holy, we are not.  The only one who ever satisfied God was his perfect, spotless, blameless, sinless Son, Jesus Christ.  And because Christ has done this, the only way we are told that we can be accepted of the Father is by trusting on Christ fully by faith alone.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."     Acts 4:12 NIV

And that someone who "...talks all the time"  -  that's a pastor.  The term is not synonymous with Rock Band Leader or Really Cool Guy with Really Cool Glasses.

Christ is the head of His Church and as such, it is His place and ONLY His place to appoint or call certain men to the public ministry of His Word.  This is what we call orderly worship - worshipping God according to His ways. 

"He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.  It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers."      Ephesians 4:10-11 NIV

It is entirely possible for a young man to attend bible school or seminary, buy a Stratocaster and STILL not be called by Christ into ministry, even though his guitar work be kickin'.  It is not for us to re-imagine Christianity or to "repaint" it or otherwise water it down to make it acceptable to our "crooked and depraved generation". 

And finally, as one of those clueless 40-somethings, remember that God is older than any of us.  If age is the determinant of cluelessness, then I cannot imagine how the Ancient of Days could possibly feel welcome at the Five One.

Peace!

R.J.

UPDATE!!
If you've taken the time to read this blog post, you'll appreciate what Michael Horton has to say in his article, How the Kingdom Comes.  In it he states, among other things, how "The church becomes countercultural by sinking its roots ever deeper into God's heavenly gifts." 

Ash Wednesday, Protestant Style

Today's Grand Rapids Press has an article about Ash Wednesday and Lent.  Here are a few quotes from the article:

"When Bishop Walter Hurley was a child, Lent was not much fun.  He could not go to the movies.  He could not eat candy.  One year, he saved up his candy all during Lent to eat on Easter, but his brother got to it first."

"Today, Catholics are expected to abstain from eating meat, as well as on all the Fridays of Lent."

"Brenda Sanders said she will follow the fast, and give up her customary Pepsi and cigarettes on the way to work.  As she left this morning's service, she called fasting a kind of cleansing."

"It's going to make me a better person in the end, so I really can be strong and live a better life," said Sanders, 49, a medical assistant from Grand Rapids.  "That's what I was taught from day one."

Now a few words from the Apostle Paul:

"Do not handle!  Do not taste!  Do not touch!"?
These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.  Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.  Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.      Colossians 2:21-23 & 3:1 NIV

My boss lives directly across the street from me and I had the idea as I read this article to start a new Lenten tradition.  He's a Christian Reformed guy and we both enjoy barbecueing with our Weber Smokey Joe "grill pups".  I thought it would be cool this Ash Wednesday to dump the remains of last nights grilling on his front porch as a sign of my disdain for Romish ritual.  I'm sure he'd appreciate it and I have to empty it anyway before I grill some chicken tonight.  Yes, tonight!  Maybe I'll even go all the way and dump a Bell's Amber Ale on the ashes as a drink offering.

I know - I am a sick and wrong individual.  But I know my Bible and these traditions won't bring us one bit closer to Christ, as Paul clearly states.

R.J.

The Grand Rapids Press
Bishop calls celebration of Lent a 'special time'