Sawtooth Renewal in October

Here's a snippet of the fall foliage I experienced on an October 1st trek into the Sawtooth Wilderness Area in South Central Idaho, Idaho's greatest secret. The trip was to a time of spiritual renewal for me in my favorite part of Idaho. The Lord had been laying some heaviness on my heart to slow down and listen, so I planned some time into my busy schedule to take a break from the craziness of life that i have come to experience here in Boise.

The setting was perfect for the words God needed me to hear. The Aspens were in full explosion on the hillsides as i meandered to and fro up the Redfish lake ridge towards the Bench Lakes. On hills in the distance i could see the many colors of the Aspens that i did not find up close, particularly the vibrant reds on the slopes of the White Cloud Range to the East. Having grown up in Seattle, I did not have the pleasure of seeing God renew his color palet every fall in the leaves of his rooted Aspens. They were a pleasure to behold, one that drew my heart constantly to God's amazing glory in the landscape surrounding me.

I hiked a ridge that followed more than half of Redfish Lake, which is over 5 miles in length, to sweeping vistas of the azure blue below me and the castle like White Cloud Range to my east. It was a chilly day that produced quite the blue sky and forced me to hike in long johns. It was October. I had my first glimpse of The Grand Mogul up close and personal on the trail, i can see how it and the Elephant's perch behind it are a climbing mecca in the Sawtooths. I veered off the main spur to ascend to my destination in the shade of Mt. Heyburn, the Bench Lakes. The traverse from the spur to the first lake brought with it a dense foliage of landscape as i switchbacked rather quickly by myself up to the shelf that supported the lakes. The first lake was beautiful with the tallest peak in the Sawtooth's framed beyond it, Mt. Thompson. The second lake had the full view of Mt. Heyburn less than a mile away. God is glorious, take a look.

The beginning of the Trail at Redfish Lake Trailhead

Redfish Lake as seen from the Ridge

Mt. Heyburn with the Bench Lakes Tucked in the Shade

Mt. Thompson is the Leftmost

The Second Bench Lake, Heyburn to the Left

The Final Stretch of Aspens before the Car

Sola Scriptura

I'm reminded this morning as I walk through the words of John Calvin in his Institutes of the glory of God displayed first and foremost in his Scriptures. I have written in the margins of one section, "Do not Stray!" This statement is true, both when i wrote it years ago studying at Whitworth, and today here at the church office. For Calvin states thruthfully:

"If we turn aside from the Word, as i have just now said, though we may strive with strenuous haste, yet, since we have got off the track, we shall never reach the goal."

So i am reminded yet again to "guard the deposit" entrusted to me in the scriptures and to hold firm to their proper study and exhortation. We cannot overemphasize the importance of Scripture in our lives as Christians! For Scripture...

1) Directs us to right knowledge and understanding of the Creator of the universe
2) Gathers up our confused notions of God reached by our innate reason and "clearly shows us the true God"
3) Directs us to right konwledge of God the Redeemer
4) Prevents wanton truth in our Lord by continuing the succession of truthful teaching in the world for all generations to stand upon, the Word of God
5) Above all calls us out from our feeble and foolish mindset, clouded by the fall, and aids us in attaining knowledge of our Lord, for we are called to know our God which is the Words purpose for all who read and meditate upon

This list is in no means exhaustive, nor does it come close to truly expounding the the power and purpose of Scripture, but we must remember that we are all called to know our Scripture deeply, to study it with the utmost diligence, not to stray, to find our God and grow in our understanding of our Father in heaven so that our lives might be transformed to the Glory of God! Scripture is our straightedge, our path; "so...it is better to limp along this path than to dash with all speed outside it."

All quotations from Calvin's Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 6

Labor Day 2008 in the Eagle Cap Wilderness

Our trip to the vast wilderness in Northeast Oregon began with a four hour car ride to the town of Enterprise, Oregon, where we met two of our close friends, Jim and Joelle Czirr, who travelle from Spokane, Washington. Since we had two cars, we had the option of doing our first point-to-point backpacking trip, instead of being forced to do a loop to return to our car. Looking into the Wallowa Mountains, we saw no peaks, only forest covered hills ascending into the grey sky above, anticipating that we just might be in the thick of the grey that became our daunting nemesis throughout the trip. We parked the Czirr's car at the Wallowa lake trailhead, waved goodbye and hoped that it would be there on our return three days later, and all piled into our subaru for the last leg of the drive up the Lostine River canyon to our trailhead, Two Pan, 22 trail miles from the Czirr's car. The trailhead was something you might see if you travel to a wal-mart on any given day, a veritable plethora of cars and humans. It was labor day weekend, and it was going to be crowded, lucky i had my wife to be my partner in the trip, and Jim had his wife to encourage him. Hiking with another couple is a great idea!

We donned our packs and hit the trail, winding steeply up the east fork Lostine river canyon, following the river upward and onward. After two miles of pretty good elevation gain, the trail began to level out and we began to emerge out of the pine shadow and into the lush river meadow. The meadow was unlike anything i had ever seen, over 4 miles long, a beautiful river flowing through the middle of it, and the Eagle Cap mountain framed by the u-shape of the mountains flowing into the meadow. It was as if the meadow pointed us to our destination, as if it beckoned us to sit and behold the mountain for which the wilderness area was named.

God did not create that meadow, pointing so directly and perfectly at the mountain, by chance. He made it to reflect his glory and creativity in creation. So that we might gaze and have our eyes and hearts drawn upward, to the seat of his throne where he reigns in spledor and glory. Our God is indeed and awesome God. At the end of the meadow we meanded a few hundred feet up to the Lakes Basin at the base of the Eagle Cap to find Mirror Lake, the gem of the Lakes Basin. Pictures do not do justice for Mirror Lake in the shadow of Eagle Cap. The mountain is too massive to capture with the lake in the foreground. This would be our camp for the night, however we would need to find a camp. Jim and i reckoned there might have been over 100 people camped on the lake as we made our way searching for a suitable spot. We found one, made dinner and called it quits. The mountain told me that i was not yet worthy to behold it as i encountered another bought with elevation sickness and spent the night trying to keep liquids and food in me. We had lightning, thunder and rain throughout our first night to welcome us to the wilderness that was not our own.

We knew it was cold the next morning when i rose from the tent to see frost and a little bit of snow on the tent and our packs. Kim's pink Nalgene had frozen water in it. Needless to say we had reached temperatures below freezing and the day ahead would not warm beyond freezing much. We ate our oatmeal and began the lakes basin trail. We saw seven lake within 4 hours of hiking below Eagle Cap, Hurricane Ridge and Glacier Peak: Mirror Lake, Sunshine Lake, Moccassin Lakes (Top Photo), Douglas Lake (Next Two Photos after), Crescent Lake, Lee Lake and Horseshoe Lake. They were all unique in their own right. From small enough to be considered a pond, to the vastly deep waters of Douglas lake at the base of Hurricane Ridge. I had never seen so many lakes in one day of hiking in my life. We ate lunch with jackets adorned and busted out the camp stove to warm tea and hot chocolate for the ladies.

I would be surprised if the temperature ever climbed above 45 degrees that day. It was the coldest i've experienced on a mid-day hike. At the eastern edge of the basin we got a glimpse of the valley floor below that we would be hiking down to our final campsite.

We dropped 1500 feet within a mile and a half and our knees felt it. The valley was massive at the base of the lakes basin and stretched from the town of Joseph on Wallowa Lake to Glacier lake beyond the backside of Eagle Cap. After innumerable switchbacks we hit the valley floor, disenchated that our supposed three day hike had become eight and a half. We crossed the West Fork Wallowa river on downed trees that got our hearts racing with the current of water beneath us. Our campsite was perfect.

Along the river, a fire pit, flat areas for our tents, meadow behind us and trees right next to us. We set up tents, graced the woods with our presence, filtered water, gathered firewood and laid down for a quick nap. It rained off and on as we were in the tent and as we were preparing dinner, disgruntling our hopes for blue sky and a warmer temperature. The fire warmed us up good and the warm spanish rice filled our stomachs, replenishing the much needed calories that we had burned. We spent a few hours playing farkle and laughing with one another before we thanked God for the day and the ability to be in His wilderness and fell asleep. It rained for a good portion of the night, but didn't creep as far below freezing as the previous night.

The last day we hiked out down the West Fork Wallowa River. We began in six mile meadow (the photo), six miles out from the Czirr mobile on Wallowa lake.

This valley was unlike anything we had experienced on the hike. We had ferns, over 30 stream crossings, grass foliage out of what could have been the olympic mountains, a avalanche chute that must be seen to be believed (at one point there was probably 15 feet vertical of piled trees from being tossed down by an avalanche that season), numerous huckleberry stops to replenish nutrients and feast on the berry that must be one of God's favorites, wonderful waterfalls and cascades, aneroid mountain in the distance, and the final view of Wallowa lake as we descended to the trailhead we had seen three days previously. We made it...22 miles later. We ate in Joseph at Mountain Air Cafe on main street and laughed, sat in silence in reflection from the trip, encouraged one another, and stuffed our faces with burgers and split pea soup. The Eagle Caps are not tame and i have more respect for God's power in creation now than I did before. Now to keep my muscles in shape for my next 40 miler in Banff, two weeks out...

Coffee and Youth Ministry

Next Tuesday a passion of mine will come full-circle. My senior year at Whitworth College, I embarked on a position that most young adults in the Seattle area long to be, I was a barrista for Starbucks. Since then I have worked as a senior high youth director at a church in spokane, moved to Moscow, took a position as a property manager, watched my wife earn her undergraduate degree, moved to Boise, took a position as the Youth Pastor in my current church, and now I have returned to starbucks. Some might call it the "circle of life," and I would venture to say those would be the Seattle faithful, sipping their venti triple shot americano's raising them high in the air, saluting my return to the organized crime coffee syndicate.

With the arrival of this change in my life, I have returned to a bi-vocational lifestyle; one which entails:

-Loving God
-Nurturing the lives of students
-Pointing people in the church to the truth of God
-Free Coffee
-Above all, fulfilling the role which God has called me to: The Boise Youth Pastor Barrista

Prayer would be appreciated as Kim and i continue to have our lives shaped in ways that we would not have chosen, but are glad that the Lord's will is not our own. Life will be a constant educatory process, bowing to our knees, acknowledging the sovereignty of God in every are of our lives. May your will be done, not ours Lord.

Sawtooth Wilderness Trek

Here's a wonderful idea...take 5 people who have never been backpacking, much less hiking, into a wilderness area in the heart of Idaho for 3 days and 2 nights. That's what we did this last weekend with four students of mine from Trinity and my brother who travelled over from Seattle. On the outset, it doesn't sound like such a good idea, but in hindsight it was a wonderful idea!

There is a newfound passion in some students now for the outdoors and God's glorious creation. Most of the students had no idea that wilderness beauty was simply in their backyard. My brother was a trooper on his first backpacking experience and i know he loved every minute of it! It was neat to see my relationship strengthen with him through the vigors of intense hiking. My lovely wife was a tremendous help on the trip and we couldn't have pulled it off without her.

We began the trek from the all-too familiar Pettit lake trailhead. It was a little over a year ago that my buddy Jim and I first experienced the Sawtooths from this trailhead. The first day was not without it's snags however. We waited for roughly an hour after arriving, hoping the thunderstorm and pouring rain would subside and we would have some blue sky for the hike ahead. Luckily the clouds vanished revealing the bluest sky some of the students had ever seen. We finished divvying out trail mix and began our journey into the wilderness. We hiked up from Pettit lake over the divide north and down into the yellowbelly-macdonald lake basin. From here we explored the lakes, which were half a mile apart. While gazing at the marshy edges and crystal clear middle of MacDonald lake we heard a tree fall. Just previously on the trail another hiker had the decency to warn me about a black bear they saw a few miles up the trail. Immediately i thought that a black bear had pushed it over, after all they love climbing trees. I sauntered over in a stealth like fashion to where i had heard the crash. What do my eyes behold? A two foot wide tree laying in the bambles of the forest, sawdust still floating in the air, no critter to be seen. Phew. In all my years of hiking i have never simply seen a tree just fall over for now apparent reason. It appeared that the roots were rotten, but i'm no treeologist.

We finished hiking to YellowBelly lake and found a wonderful campsite overlooking the lake to the East, towards the White Clouds. We went swimming and played mafia, all the while amazed at the thunderclouds and lightning in the distance over the lake. 3am, i awake to hear panting outside my tent...too high pitched to be a bear, maybe a wolf or coyote or mountain lion...i will never know for i threw my pillow over my ears as to slow my beating heart. 5am, i awake again to the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning. The forecasters had gotten it right, thunderstorm early morning. Kim and i stared at each other wide eyed after every deafening boom and we began to realize after counting our one one thousands that the storm was closing in. There was a moment where the lightning was within a mile of us. Needless to say we were getting dumped on and i was praying that the bolts would find the tops of the trees and not our aluminum tent stakes. After the storm passed over we awoke to beautiful skies and lighting in the distance.

We hiked up another all-too familiar section of the trail, from yellowbelly up the toxaway drainage past tumbling waterfalls and jagged cliffs to our north, to a lake with a few islands named Farley lake. I had the bright idea of encouraging the studetns to swim to the island knowingly full well that i would be suckered into swimming with them. I think my chest still hurts from the freezing water and trying to catch my breath while swimming an olympic marathon to the islands. Michael Phelps would have been proud. We hiked back to our camp for the evening and built a warm fire and had a wonderful Bible Study around Ephesians 4.

The next morning we hiked the ridgeline back out to the car, where we promptly drove into Stanley for the best Huckleberry Milkshakes in Idaho, hands down. Kim and I can't wait till our next wilderness trek to the Eagle Caps this coming labor day weekend. God is gracious.

St. Augustine on Original Sin

Perhaps we should view Original Sin from the perspective of that great theologian, Augustine of Hippo, who has given us a minefield of theological truths that theologians are still unpacking today,including the doctrine of Original Sin (Since no one systematized any doctrine on Original Sin before him). Augustine writes his biography in the form of a prayer to God that others were invited to read in his autobiography The Confessions. My urge to anyone reading this who hasn't picked up that ancient writing of Augustine's is to find a comfy chair and read. The Confessions is the greates book i have ever read save that of the Bible. Augustines poetic passion for rhetoric is second to none and has the power to wield men's hearts towards a deep relationship with God We find these quotes in the confessions regarding Augustine's own personal view on Original Sin and his Bondage to Sin:

"The reins that held me were loosened; instead of being restrained by parental discipline, i was let loose to follow every random inclination. But, my God, wherever my inclinations took me, a dark cloud came between me and the clear skies of your truth; and out of my abundance came forth my wickedness" (Confessions 2.3.8)

"I did not know that evil is deficiency of good to the point where there is no good at all" (Confessions 3.7.12)

"The good that you love is from him, but it is god and pleasing only so far as it is conisdered in relation to him. But if you abandon him, the love you direct towards anything that is from him will be unrighteous, and the object of your love will righteously be bitter to the taste." (Confessions 4.12.18)

"For it still seemed to me that it is not we ourselves who sin, but some other nature within us...I loved to exculpate myself and lay the blame on that something that was with me but not me. But it was all me. In my impiety i was divided against myself, and my sin was all the more incurable in that i did not consider myself a sinner." (Confessions 5.10.18)

"What then is the origin of my willing bad deeds and not willing good ones--why i should justly pay the penalty for my deeds" (Confessions 7.3.5)

"I sought to know what wickedness was, and found it was no substance, but a perverse distortion of the will away from the highest substance and towards the lowest things; the will casts forth its innermost part and swells outwards" (Confessions 7.16.22)

"The enemy kept his hold on my powers of willing, and had made of it a chain for me, and bound me with it. My will was perverted, and became a lust; i obeyed my lust as a slave, and it became a habit; i failed to resist my habit, and it became a need...my two wills, the old, carnal will, and the new, spiritual will, were at war with one another, and in their discord rent my soul in pieces." (Confessions 8.5.10)

"Therefore it was no longer i that did this, but the sin that dwelt in me-that sin itself being part of the punishment for a sin more willingly commited, since i was a son of Adam." (Confessions 8.10.22)

Disobedience-The Beginning of All Ruin

"...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die...Have you eaten of the tree of which i commanded you not to eat?...The man said, 'The woman you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." (Genesis 2:17 and 3:11-12)

Biblically the ruin of mankind stems from one man's disobedience. For God created Man and Woman and called them "good." He gave them but one command of what not to partake, the tree's fruit. We speak of the Word of God either as the second person of the Trinity, Jesus ("In the beginning was the Word" J0hn 1:1), or the words with which we find in Scripture which are the very words of God himself, either through Prophets, Kings, or Apostles. For Scripture is that blessed revelation that God has bestowed upon mankind so that we might know of the love God has for everyone. Is not God's word to Adam to not eat from the tree Scripture? It is the word of God, from God's own tongue, spoken with a purpose and as a command. Why was it spoken? For our best. Calvin states:

"Adam was denied the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to test his obedience and prove that he was willingly under God's command." Calvin, Institutes 1.2.4

Have we not heard the robot analogy in regards to free will? Whenever i am in a discussion over the limited nature of our free will, I inevitably will have someone state that "God would not create robots, he wouldn't feel loved if you came to him out of obligation and not out of the goodness of your heart!" Hence God's command is that we might know and love Him out of the goodness of our heart, not like a blind robot following a dictator. According to Calvin, God then placed the tree in the garden so as to know and test their obedience to His word. But as my pastor very poignantly pointed out to me, there are many commands and words that God issued Adam and Eve in the garden to partake and obey that could have been disobeyed! This is not the only option that Adam and Eve had the option to disobey. It was however the only prohibitive command from God in the garden.

Therefore, Adam could have disobeyed any of God's commands, either by acts of omission or comission. He indeed disobeyed the living word of God in his act of comission, eating the fruit. In this act of disobedience, the very truth of God's word was disobeyed. Adam turned himself into a god. He put his own selfish desires before the living truth of what God had told them was best for them. His disobedience allowed the creep of sin to entangle all mankind. For what is sin but an act of unfaithfulness in the holy word of God. Where "disobedience was the beginning of the fall...unfaithfulness, then, was the root of the Fall." (Calvin, Insitutes 1.2.4)

The Fitting start for Original Sin

Theologically, Original Sin is the taint that all humans have from the sin Adam and Eve committed in the garden by disobeying God's command not to eat from the tree of knowledge. Augustine states frequently that it is somehow passed on hereditarily whereas Calvin states it is simply a "fall from our original condition." The doctrine of Original Sin can seem disgusting and hopeless for many. However most people who find it to be a major turnoff from organized religion see it as a doctrine, seperate and raised above others. When one discusses the fall and original sin, we must always begin with "original nobility," or original righteousness.

We find original sin to be such a blemish on the overall doctrinal configuration of Christianity when we believe that God has created us with a fallen nature, or that by some means our original sin is passed on from something we didn't do and therefore is unjust. I have heard many arguments that original sin was attributed to Adam, so why do we still bear a mark for something that he did? For if one person commits murder, all are not considered murderers. Why then do we find that the beginning of our lineage in Adam has caused us all to sin?

We find the answers to all of these questions not in the doctrine of original sin, but in the theological perspective of our created purpose. We must begin before the fall in order to understand the disordering of creation through the sin of Adam. We were created to be first and foremost in relationship with God, obeying His good commands so that we might fulfill our purpose of continually giving Him glory and honor above all else. Our created purpose is to love and cherish God above all else. For if we begin from the doctrine that we are all sinners, we do not know the ultimate sin that we have all committed. Indeed some most definitely say that i have not sinned! But we find the origin of Sin in Adam's decision to follow his own judgement and turn his back on God. For we were created to be in perfect relationship with God, conversing and following his commands so that we might be living in his image. But we find that one simple turn from God's command brought ruin to all mankind.

For original sin is simply a delineation from original righteousness, or fulfilling our original purpose. Now all of mankind, from Adam onwards, has himself on his mind before God and willingly chooses own glory over God's glory. For all of us it's not even a choice. When we are young do we not choose that which we find best suiting for us? Do we choose God's glory over our own when we are a three year old stealing a toy from another toddler? There is now, through Adam's decision to eat the forbidden fruit, an innate desire for our own glory over that of God's. For this is what theologians point to throughout thousands of years of writings, this is indeed what God points to throughout the entire Bible, that indeed we no longer have a natural inclination towards God's glory, but we have a natural inclination towards propogating our own best interest. For when i was created i did not put my relationship with God first, the reason for which i was created. For we were created to know God and to be in communication with him. How far has humanity fallen from our original nobility before the fall.

We find again that so many find the doctrine of original sin to be disgusting. But if we begin from our original purpose, to know and glory in God, and find that through Adam's turn towards self-glory, the fall, we find that original sin is something we are all tainted with. For i have to force my mind day in and day out to be centered on God and his love in Jesus Christ for us. It's not something that is natural. It is a decision that God continues to let me make daily in Christ's gracious wake. For i was created to love God, and i find it so hard so often to love Him. I am tainted with the stain of original sin and fight daily for the purpose which God created me to fulfill, to love him and "hallow" his name as glorious above all else. May original sin not deter us from the faith, but may it kindle a zeal for God's glory above all else in our lives. May it strengthen us to find the prupose for which we were created and may we burn with a passion that our own glory must be crucified, for we must "take up our own cross" in order to follow in Jesus' footsteps and know God for who He is, the Lover of mankind.

Trinity Mission Trip to Salmon, Idaho

10 of us from Trinity Presbyterian Church here in Boise travelled this last week to the rural town of Salmon, Idaho to assist an older Presbyterian Church (originally built in the late 1800's during the gold rush) by painting their basement and assisting elderly church members with moving mostly heavy objects that they were unable to move themselves. Eight students (both Junior and Senior High) and two leaders enabled the transformation in the basement, which they are hoping to turn into a youth room, by painting for two whole days, applying two coats and much needed paint fights.

We had a wonderful time in the community serving where the needed us. We also were able to have a bit of fun, swimming in the community pool playing marco polo, trying to ford the mighty salmon river...didn't work, bowling in a decked out early 80's bowling alley throwing 6 pound bowling balls almost the entire length of the lane, driving to Williams Lake 15 miles west of Salmon on the edge of the Frank Church Wilderness and watching students soak each other with the hose. Every morning we took part in a morning devotional and every night we sang worship to our Lord and discussed three different passages from the Gospels. The student's were enabled both spiritually and physically by our Creator and all were enthused about wanting to travel on a mission trip again; i think Britt's face below says it all! To God be the glory. Now i'm resting and preventing myself from becoming ill.

Prayer for those students who came would be wonderful. Pray that they might hold onto how God moved in their lives and that they might be proud of the work God enabled them to do in the community of Salmon.

Habakkuk's Conclusion

“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.”
Habakkuk 3:17-19a

These words from the prophet Habakkuk are a fitting summary of all three chapters. They are the last three verses of Habakkuk and are by no means erected without all the prior verses in mind. What is verse 17, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,” but the extrapolation of all the warnings and judgment with which Habakkuk has placed on God’s people. More than half of Habakkuk are words of judgment and coming pestilence for the wicked deeds of the people. So, Habakkuk here in verse 17 covers the consequence of the peoples hard hearted waywardness; he shows that God’s judgment will be swift and will bring pestilence and famine to the land. No one is safe from the judgment of God, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

But…and even though these afflictions of an earthly nature bombard the people, Habakkuk sets our soul upright in the midst of peril. For food and livelihood (figs, fruit, vines, olives, flock, herd) are merely outward prosperity in all of our lives. Habakkuk reminds us that our only need is the inward joy we find in God our savior:

“We may hence gather a most useful doctrine,--that whenever signs of God’s wrath meet us in outward things, this remedy remains to us—to consider what God is to us inwardly; for the inward joy, which faith brings to us, can overcome all fears, terrors, sorrows and anxieties” (Calvin’s Commentary)

Our Joy, in other words, should not depend on outward prosperity, a stable income, a healthy car, a large home, network sitcoms, but on the inward joy we find in God alone. For we have no strength but in God alone. For there will always be desolation and judgment enacted in the world, for we live in a fallen time full of selfish desires in every human, Christian and non-Christian, that draw pain upon one another. For we are fallen creatures and create much of our own desolation and peril out of selfish ambition. But two things are certain in every moment of life:

1) Distress, peril and/or judgment is certain to be in our future
2) God alone gives us the strength and joy to find Him in times of distress

A stable relationship with God our father through faith in Jesus Christ is the means by which true joy enacts itself in our life. Without God, distress and peril overrun us and we seek to find happiness in worldly pleasure and worldly pursuits. For how often does a depressed woman try to suppress the pain by shopping for new clothes, or how often does a man fail at the task before him and try to make himself feeling better by buying a new toy, too often. Outward prosperity means nothing when it has fallen from the tree. Everything finds it’s perfect place and purpose in God’s hands. Therefore we must first seek our Lord, knowing that pain will come undoubtedly, for He is the reason for life and He is the one who gives us pure joy in midst of the pain and sorrow so that He may be glorified and that we might have eternal life as He has called us to. Amen.

Habakkuk's Woe to Babylon

Habakkuk continues in Chapter two declaring the coming ruin of Babylon for the deploring acts they have committed, namely creating idols for worship and seeking their own selfish ambitions at the cost of their integrity. He picks up the thread from chapter one where he declares his complaints to God. This section in chapter two is more of a specific warning against turning to our own ways and not seeking the Lord’s guidance. He says:

“Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own…

woe to him who gets evil gain for his house…

woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity…

woe to him who makes his neighbors drink…

woe to him who says to a wooden thing, awake; to a silent stone arise…” Habakkuk 2:6-19

Are not the Chaldeans, those in Babylon, who Habakkuk is addressing turning their guidance towards their own fallen reason and away from that inscrutable wisdom of God that He calls us to seek. Did not Habakkuk earlier in chapter two state that it is our duty to retreat from the wisdom of the world, which is folly in God’s eyes as Proverbs so frequently expresses, and seek the wisdom of God from the recess of the “watchtower?” All of these woe’s find the people seeking their own gain apart from God. They even seek a new God in a wooden and stone idol. How does God not demolish them with his just rod and sword. God, the creator of all humanity and everything in the earth, finds Himself spit out by the people, for they would rather have a lesser god in an idol than the God that created them. More than that, the wood and stone which God created is now being abused and misused against the purpose for which He created it. Is this not the folly of mankind? Were we not created to know God, our father and savior, more deeply than any of us do? We were created to be in constant relationship with Him, to seek our wisdom and guidance in a patient posture from the workings of His hands. We were. Yet we use the life God has given us to seek things other than our Lord and Savior which our mind was created to meditate on. Here is an image that explains this well: a river raft was created for floating and rafting a river. It would not work well, or at all, if I were to strap rope to it and tie it to a harness on my waist and jump off a roof and hope it would bring me safely to the ground. It was not created to be a parachute. In the same way we were not created to seek our selfish desires, we were not created to turn our backs on our maker. We were created to glorify God and to seek sanctification in our relationship with Him. May we be reminded why we were created and take pleasure in fulfilling our created nature, coming to know our God and father better than we could have ever hoped. He has given us the ability in Christ to break free from our bondage to sin and evil and turn towards good and love. May we remember that wood and stone idols do nothing but ruin ourselves. Amen.

Paul Quotes Habakkuk: Faith Alone

As we continue through Habakkuk we find more and more New Testament quotes and themes riddled throughout the prophet’s recollection. Is it not a coincidence that our faith finds its roots in the New Testament in light of the testimony of God in the Old Testament? Of course not. For God has chosen to reveal himself to us by means of personal interaction with His people in the Old Testament, revealing to them the Law, providing prophets to speak words of truth from God, installing Kings for His people and revealing Himself in countless other spectacles. The entire Old Testament points to the fulfillment we as Christians stand upon in the New Testament, “justification by faith alone” in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior. The Old and New are inextricably linked to one another for all time. You can’t have one without the other. With this said:

Our Christian faith finds it’s roots first and foremost in the New Testament, for it is here we learn the truth of Christ and justification by faith. Romans, possibly the greatest letter ever written, has for it’s thesis:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘the righteous shall live by faith.’” Romans 1:16-17

All of Romans, that wonderful letter that confines the foundations and doctrines of being justified by God alone, apart from any of our own works and abilities, testifies to the truth that God has implanted in his prophet Habakkuk. For in Habakkuk we find the thesis for Romans quoted:

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith” Habakkuk 2:4

Is this not why Paul continues in Romans 3 to say that “we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28) and goes on to use the father of our faith, Abraham, as an example of faith, “for the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13). Paul knows the truth of Habakkuk, and the truth of our God, that we are justified by faith alone, apart from any works of our own or merit we could possibly acquire. God spoke the same word of truth to Habakkuk some 700 years earlier. Hence we find in congruence between Paul and Habakkuk that God’s design has always been justification by faith alone. Those that claim that we find salvation in anything other that God himself and his grace is an anathema to the church. And how often do we find the notion that those in the Old Testament were saved by their works, how they followed the law, since they didn’t have Christ the savior yet. Was not Abraham himself justified by faith, “that is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to his offspring” (Romans 4:16a).

For it is by faith alone that we can see God face to face, it is by faith alone that we have turned from the folly of our sinful nature and now look towards the love of God in Christ renewing us to be images of Him, it is by faith alone that we can come to church week after week still a sinner, it is by faith alone that our hope rests and thank God it is! If what Paul says in Romans 4:16 that “the promise may rest on grace” alone is true, then as countless others have affirmed (Calvin, Luther, Augustine, Barth) we do nothing in faith, but accept the grace to which God has extended to us. Grace is something wholly outside of ourselves, something only a perfect righteous God could extend and produce for us. We can only accept the gift of grace with an open hand called faith. And if that is true, then faith itself is a byproduct of God’s grace, it too is a gift. May we thank our maker for inviting us into the dance of fellowship through faith alone. For it depends wholly upon God alone for this gift of faith that we have. And he will sustain it! Amen.

The Sawtooth Range

Here's the Sawtooth Range, a Sub-Range of the Rockies, as photographed from the town of Stanley, Idaho:

Journey: Revelation

Journey's back!!! Steve Perry is still out, but they have this crazy fillipino lead singer that sounds almost identical to Perry. Sometimes i think i should have been born in the 70's so i could have fully enjoyed the classic 80's music. Journey's new cd "Revelation" is definitely worth owning...and they are also on tour...so maybe even see them live. Journey rocks...i'm a 80's retro nerd...i know...

A Foretaste of Labor Day 2008: Eagle Cap Wilderness

Jim, Joelle, Kim and I will be travelling, Lord willing, to the Eagle Cap Wilderness in Northeast Oregon for a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip through the lake basin area at the base of Eagle Cap Peak. It should prove to be gorgeous and filled with wonderful fellowship as we seek to lift one another up and express our exclamations of God's beauty. Here's a couple of images for the idea for the Labor Day trip.

The Lord's Graciousness

The Lord has been very gracious to Kim and I. He has called us to himself through his precious son's blood and reached out to us in relationship. He has let us in to His intimate friendship. He has also provided Kim and I both with wonderful jobs here in Boise where He has led us. If you had told me even a year ago that i would be living in Boise, i wouldn't have believed you. But God, in his divine wisdom, has called and placed Kim and i here in the treasure valley. So far we love the town, we love the sun, and we are growing to love new friends. We miss our friends that we left, but know that we will reunite again.

Kim's studies have come to fruition with her vocation now at Hummel Architecture in the north end of Boise. She began yesterday and i can see the light of her calling ignite her inside and out. I'm so blessed that God has chosen to gift my wife with a love for architecture and a firm to work out the gift. She makes me so proud and i'm excited that God has found it fitting that she might be an architect. She impresses me with her architectural ability. Throughout the application process, Kim and i were tried while seeking a position for her. God stretched us and again taught us patience. There are certain moments in life when we are most palpable and soft-hearted for our Lord. Seeking a calling and job is one of those moments. God taught us yet again to trust in Him, to find our strength in Him and to know that his divine plan is greater than any of our fleeting desires. May we remember this and may it root in the center of our being!

The Lord has also led me to a position as a youth pastor here at Trinity Presbyterian Church. My high school dream and aspiration to be a "youth pastor" has come true! I wonder how many times i might have prayed in senior high that God might lead me to a path that he could shape and wield me as a pastor for his students. Kim and i love the church and we love the congregation. Over the past week we have really begun to cultivate the youth program with our summer events. We will be floating the Boise river this afternoon and building relationships in fellowship with one another. God has put a calling on my life as a leader. May i remember that i can never be the leader he has called me to be without placing all my trust, my faith, my being in Christ's work on the cross. May my imperfection be perfected by Christ's blood.

Prayer would be appreciated for both Kim and i as we cultivate our life and grow our roots deep here in Boise. In the prayer of John Calvin:

"Grant, Almighty God, that as our sins cry continually to heaven, each of us may turn to repentance, and by condemning ourselves of our own accord may anticipate thy judgment, and thus stir up ourselves to repentance, that being received into favour, we may find thee, whom we have provoked to take vengeance, to be indeed our Father: and may we be so preserved by thee in this world, that having at length put off all our vices, we may attain to that perfection of purity, to which thou invitest us: and thus lead us more and more to thyself by thy Spirit, and separate us from the corruptions of this world, that we may glorify thee before men, and be at last made partakers of that celestial glory which has been purchased for us by the blood of thy only begotten Son. Amen."

Family Camp-The Sawtooths to the White Cloud Mountains

Kim and i spent this last weekend in one of the most beautiful portions of the world, the heart of Idaho, the Sawtooth Mountain Range and the Southern portion of the White Cloud Mountains. We left friday morning on one of the bluest days i have ever seen, and traveled the two and half hours to the Sawtooth Wilderness area. The drive was harrowing at portions with hairpin turns over 7,000' where going any faster than 25mph would have most certainly landed us in the ravine below. Every mile of the drive i could feel the strings of memory from my last trip to the Sawtooths with Jim Czirr come rushing back. From one hill to the other the Sawtooths became more and more visible, tearing up even at one point from the glory of God displayed in his rugged mountains. Mountains were no doubt created to lift our eyes from our earthly estate, to that greater life upwards. Kim agreed that my love for the Sawtooths was not overplayed, but that she was equally impressed with the splendor and beauty of the mountain range.

Before lunch we arrived at the trailhead for Elk Meadow. The wildflowers were in bloom and the air was crisp. It was a perfect weekend, with temperature in the 70s, and blue skies for as far as the eyes could see. Our hike traveled along Elk Creek and through meadows until we reached Elk Meadow, the largest meadow in the Sawtooth range measuring in at about 2.5 miles from one end to the other. It was quite a spectacle to behold framed by the mountains all around. It was early so much of the meadow was completely covered in water. Nonetheless our 5.5 mile hike into the Sawtooths proved to be the beauty and enjoyment we were looking for. As we were having lunch we saw an elk emerge to snack on wildflowers, as well as a few cranes and blue herrons.

We then traveled through south, stopping at every lake in the Sawtooth range that you could reach by car to take in the majesty of God's creation. We spent the next two days at Camp Sawtooth, just north of Sun Valley, at our church's family camp. It was a wonderful time getting to know other families in the church and spending some wonderful time learning about "life together," the theme for the weekend which has it's roots in Bonhoeffer's novel.

On Saturday we went for a hike up a river with two others from the church. It was a different kind of beauty, set in the southern portion of the White Cloud range. River hikes seem to always be so soothing. They continually draw your eyes forward along the river upwards.

We spent Sunday walking around Sun Valley and eventually mosied our way home to Boise where we fell asleep exhausted. Thank you Lord!

Habakkuk's Perception of God's Sovereignty

We have walked through chapter 2 verse 1, regarding the ‘watchpost’ and ‘tower’ in which Habakkuk metaphorically describes himself ascending to heights of wisdom and recess found only in the Lord and his word, ascending far from earthly reason and wisdom. Habakkuk then, from his watchtower, said he was to ‘look out to see what [God] will say to me…concerning [his] complaint.’ It is thus no coincidence that the Lord answers Habakkuk with truth and power since he had recessed himself into faithfulness and constant aversion of his eyes to be fixed upwards, looking out from his tower. God answers us when we are listening, when we are watching, not when we are plowing through our daily tasks standing on our own wisdom and reason. If we are the Lord’s, then our ways are to be like the Lord’s.

“And the Lord answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.’” 2:2-3

God answers Habakkuk. He asks him to write the vision with which we find in chapter 1 on tablets, making it plain to see, with large letters if you will so that he who ‘runs’ by, or he who is engaged in conversation walking by, or he who is weak of sight might be able to discern the words on the tablet. For these words are a proclamation to all the people, not simply Habakkuk.

God then states the most profound part of his answer, ‘for still the vision awaits its appointed time.’ Did not God answer Habakkuk in chapter one with the same answer? “Look among the nations and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” Where Habakkuk wants God’s vision to be fulfilled, we are reminded that God’s ways are not our ways. For God has a preordained time with which his vision will come to fulfillment. He says that the coming of the vision “will not lie” or in Calvin’s words, “will not fail.” We can be assured that God has a plan and he will bring it about in his time. We must however draw far from any doubt that he will fulfill his promises to us…for his promises ‘will not fail’ but will be brought to fulfillment in the Lord’s time. God then speaks to the hearts of men, ‘if it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.’ How often are we downcast and downtrodden when we pray to our Lord and savior and find no answer. How often do we beat our fists and say, ‘why don’t you answer our prayer now when it’s most important to me?’ But God, speaking to men, tells us to be patient and wait for it to come, for it surely will. Calvin says it well:

“Though the Lord protracts time, and though day after day we seem to live on vain promises, yet let God speak, that is, let him have this honour from you, and be ye persuaded that he is true, that he cannot disappoint you; and in the meantime wait for his power; wait, so that ye may yet remain quiet, resting on his word, and let all your thoughts be confined within this stronghold—that it is enough that god has spoken.” (Commentary on Habakkuk, 2:2-3)

God teaches us patience on His own terms. God’s ways are not our ways and His ordainment of history and when things come to fulfillment do not happen the way we want them to. How glorious that our ways and plans are not God’s! This world would be ten times more terrifying if men, full of weakness and selfish ambition, were in charge of their own history and destiny! God is sovereign, he is just, he is our creator and therefore knows what is best for each of us. So when the Lord seems far away, when his answers for our unanswered prayers are far away, remember that He alone is God and He alone knows the true course of action for our lives. May we wait patiently, expectantly looking from our tower on high with our eyes fixed forever upward on our Lord’s truth and scripture, knowing that ‘it will not fail’ but will be brought to fulfillment in the Lord’s due time. God is sovereign, he is in charge. Thank God we are not. May we stand firm in faith, holding on in prayer, trusting our Lord as our savior and our redeemer.

Habakkuk's Patience

We can find wisdom through Habakkuk’s posture and words to his Lord most high:

“I will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint” (Habakuk 2:1)

We came to the conclusion that Habakkuk was referring to stepping out of worldly wisdom and worldly reason when he refers to the watch tower. For God calls us to look at our life with truth and wisdom, not with our reason as the primary director of our life. Even though God has justified us in his son, all of us including our reason, we are still fallen and have to make the daily decision to follow our Lord and Savior. Our nature doesn’t innately do what is right. Through Christ however we can see truth and see the right in our decisions, but it doesn’t mean we will always make the right one. In fact as Christians any decision made apart from seeking the truth in our Lord first is sin, for whatever does not proceed from faith and a firm trust in our Lord is sin. So we must seek truth and direction as the Lord would have it, by knowing Him deeply and having his Word always on our tongue.

In light of finding our direction and guidance for everything rooted in our relationship with our Lord, Habakkuk, after retreating from his own wisdom and reason to the tower, then calls us to “look out to see what he will say to me.” How weird? Do our eyes have anything to do with our ears? For Habakkuk uses the word ‘look’ to refer to hearing what the Lord will ‘say’ to him! Our eyes would not hear what the Lord would say to us. But our eyes are metaphorically used for that which we have fixed our gaze upon. Habakkuk has his gaze firmly set upon a fervent expectation of hearing the Lord answer him. He I sitting upon his tower, forsaking his own wisdom, and fixating his whole being upon the Lord’s answer. Habakkuk teaches us that patience and trust that God will answer is a must for anyone seeking a firm relationship with God. He shows us that we must be watching, eyes firmly gazing upon him, for what he might tell us, by whatever medium that might be.

Habakkuk has a true relationship with God. He watches to see what the lord will reveal to him in order that he might also ‘answer’ concerning his complaint. When we meet with someone for coffee we both talk and listen. Habakkuk teaches us that it is good to communicate with God! We must be listening for his direction by means of fixating our entire being upon him, for where our eyes are fixated our body follows. For we walk where our eyes gaze. But we also seek our part in his answer. We must communicate with our Lord. What a man of prayer Habakkuk must have been. Let us take the call to wait expectantly for a word from the Lord, and the wisdom to respond to our God with a grateful heart, whatever he might be telling us. Watch and Listen for our God communicates to us every day!

Habakkuk's Trust

We see most clearly that Habakkuk complains to the God most high in two different sections in chapter 1. His first complaint centers around the evil he sees in the world. All iniquity, pain and sorrow. He asks why? And how long? His Lord answers him that He is a just God, raising forth the Chaldeans to bring justice to the slothful of Israel. Habakkuk then responds in a different tone, accepting the Lord’s ordained judgment, but still wonders how long God must “mercilessly kill [the] nations forever?”

Habakkuk then speaks these words in midst of his complaints:

“I will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint” (2:1)

In the midst of all of Habakkuk’s groans and complaints toward his God, he finds the strength to pull back and wait attentively for the Lord’s answer. At the end of the complaint Habakkuk in turn responds not my will be done, but “thy will be done.” This tower and watch post are not literal, but a metaphor that separates Habakkuk from his own worldly wisdom, his innate reason if you will. The tower is in fact the place where Habakkuk pulls back from his own reason, and relies solely on the Lord’s guidance. Is not a watch post or tower a place above all else? A place where one can look out from a profoundly different angle and see things in a new light? When one hikes from the lowest of valley’s to the highest of mountains, does not his view of the landscape and world change? He goes from thick forests that block his vision to a peak where limitless view encompasses him on all sides and the forest in which he was once in becomes but a green blanket on the footstool of the mountain.

Habakkuk acknowledges by “station[ing] himself on the tower” he is acknowledging that his ways are not God’s ways, that God is doing a work in his days that he “would not believe if told.” So he removes himself from the wisdom of the world, from his reason that is so utterly fallen and captive to satan’s fleeting enticements, and sets himself on high, seeking truth from his Lord and God, seeing that his reason may not be his own, but that it may be that of the “everlasting…[his] Holy One.” Where is this reason of God’s found? Why in his scripture, his written Word that Habakkuk would have possessed.

For it is when we seek God’s truth and God’s reason that we see clearly and the veil of fog from our miry nature is lifted. Is not Christ the Word of God from which this blanket of iniquity is raised from us and torn asunder? Indeed the cloth in the Holy of Holies was torn in two with what Christ accomplished upon the cross. Christ is our Word, our truth bringer. The Lord’s scripture is testament to the work of His hands, both to the bringing of His son in glory and to the life we are called to live in the wake of his death and resurrection. Our wisdom is not our own, nor should it be. If we are son’s and daughters of the Lord most high, we must fixate ourselves upon his holy writ with which all confidence and wisdom derive. Set your eyes upon the words our Lord has uttered and ordained for us to hear! We must recess to our tower and seek the Lord’s wisdom over our own fallen minds. For we can will only evil and sloth apart from our Lord. Let us take our stand at our watch post and see this world from the eyes that God has commanded us to look upon it with, eyes of truth.

Habakkuk's Cry

Habakkuk:
“O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted”

I can’t help but realize this verse is as relevant today as it was in Habakkuk’s day, if not more relevant. He speaks of pain, sorrow and strife befalling himself and those around him. He speaks of the righteous being surrounded by the wicked. He sees violence and destruction take hold of the earth and cries to the Lord, seeking help and justice, but hears nothing. Have not our own brethren today experienced the same pain and sorrow? A man puts his trust in a brother only to be betrayed and turned upon. A righteous man is slandered by the masses for calling people to a true faith. Husbands and wives of the victims of 9/11 cry “why” and beat their fists in the ground. The country gasps as hurricane Katrina moves swiftly through New Orleans. For the evil we experience today is no less than the evil Habakkuk experienced.

Is this not the Problem of Evil at it’s core? From our lowly view we see injustice, iniquity, pain, wrongdoing and violence and ask God why He is not there, why He isn’t doing anything. If God is all powerful, all knowing and Just, why is their so much pain in the world. Why is evil permitted and even ordained?

The Lord:
“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told”

The Lord gives Habakkuk three commands: Look, wonder and be astounded. These don’t seem like the adjectives that would come naturally for all the evil and hurt we experience in this world. God’s command seems so against our nature. But what if the Lord really is doing a work that we “would not believe if told?” He must, for our God is a righteous God, full of justice and mercy and would not allow or even permit evil without a purpose. Do we know what that purpose is? Some might argue an answer but I believe the Lord’s response to Habakkuk is a call for us to realize that God’s ways are not our own. God see’s time eternal. The way we reason the Problem of Evil in our lives is not the way our Lord sees evil. How can we call foul on God? How can we say to God that we cry out “and He will not hear?” We can’t. For we do not know that God is near. That he hears our every word. That he is a compassionate God full of love and mercy. How often do we cry to God and limit his response by simply thinking He will only respond in one way. We harden our hearts when we limit God’s freedom of expression in His response! May our hearts be soft and palpable, open to any direction of the Lord!

God calls us to look. To have our eyes wide open. Not to shield ourselves from the evil of this world, but to truly see it as it is, an indescribable evil that is against the very nature of God Himself. He calls us to wonder. To marvel at who He is and at what He is doing. He calls us to be astounded. To step back staggering from his goodness and to know that His ways are so completely incomprehensible to us that we will never understand in this life. The Lord wants our reaction to Him to be full of passion and to know that He is just, that evil doesn’t slip by Him, He sees all. So may we have our eyes open and may we marvel at our God, trusting that He knows best for us and this world. For our God is good, just and righteous and loves us dearly.