Tuesday, August 29, 2006

On The Way to Work

Even from the freeway,
Quick and windy,
You can see the freshly red painted barn,
Where playful work and
Long days under the crisp golden hills
Were enjoyed with the dancing pines
And soft blue sky.


We caught Colson drinking water from my cup like a big boy. As you can see, he was so proud of himself. We were proud of him too. He proceeded to think he was big until he poured almost the entire contents right onto his chest. haha. We had to go change his pagamas.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Beard

One has never been as happy as I
When stroking my beard,
Smoking my pipe,
And drinking my beer.
But my bride despises going through the briers
before getting to the picnic,
and so I shave my beard,
Kiss my bride,
Smoke my pipe,
and lift my glass to the sky.
And say cheers to all the years
I won't have a beard.

Friday, August 25, 2006

A Sum of our Moscow Story

Life is so raw, so organic, never ending up exactly how one would expect. Kind of like a great story or a great poem, or both. The story of our lives is authored by the Great Storyteller himself: for God alone could come up with the story of creation. Being himself the Creator, how could our lives be mundane-nothing-new-never-exciting-everything-happens-exactly-as-we-had- expected, kind of life? Oh I have to laugh, and cry, and rejoice and even sometimes curse. This story is exciting, frustrating, hysterical. It’s challenging, it’s beautiful, and it’s even ugly and messy. But this is even beautiful, for it brings a sinner like me before my Father’s throne, with adoration, trust, and humility.

KC and I started a new chapter of our story. If I could possibly title this chapter of our life in Moscow so far, I would call it something to the effect of “Trust and Tribulation.” We’ve had a number of unfortunate mishaps since moving. God has been so gracious through it, and has provided more than we need as he takes away and gives us something better: death and resurrection. Life is always better after resurrection. That’s the great part of all stories. The messy part that becomes beautiful, like the cross is the death that we must undergo. God, it seems, is continually showing the Rumreys what it means to die with Christ so that we may also, more gloriously, live with Christ. And this is why we have everything to look forward to as our story unfolds.

Although the story twists and turns and dips and jumps, we’re called to trust in the Storyteller, for in Him all things hold together, even those small details in our lives. Though small tribulations have visited our lives these past weeks, I’m thoroughly thrilled to be a part of a community where only 3 miles distances us from one end of town to the other, where you can’t go anywhere that you won’t have eyes from Christ’s Church watching you (what accountability), where the culmination of the week leads us into worshipping “THE TRIUNE GOD” as pastor Wilson proclaims weekly. I am thrilled to enter the local Christian-owned cafĂ© & pub house, sit down to some wonderful music, wine, and fellowship. There is so much to swallow, so much beauty, so much art, life, joy, community!

So, all this to say, we’re doing great. God has blessed us. We’re going to Calvary constantly, and God is lifting us once more from the death that we must undergo to live and move and have our being in the One True God.

KA

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Authority?

When Peter made his proclamation that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God he was told, by that same Jesus, that this was not revealed to him by flesh and blood but rather by His father in heaven. Certainly this is an authoritative word that Peter brings forth, yet all that he was doing was recognizing what was already there. Peter was not making anything happen and he certainly was not making Jesus the Christ. But we are told by Jesus that someone outside of Peter had revealed this to Peter, does this mean that he was inspired? Was the same Spirit who made Jesus the Christ the One at work in Peter to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God? We are told in the WCF that man is ultimately in need of the Spirit of God to illuminate him to see that the scriptures are the word of God. Is this the relationship the Church had with the Word of God in the canonization of Scriptures? Because of the work of the Spirit of God in the Church she has eyes to see the self-authenticating Word of God and therefore make an authoritative acknowledgment of that which already is. I was told today that the Church has authority around sacred things, in other words, to acknowledge the Word of God, proclaim, protect, and teach the word of God. But, she does not have authority in sacred things. The Church does not make the Word of God, rather she is created by the Word of God to be the people of the Word.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Take me to you, imprison me, for I
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

John Donne, from "Batter my heart, three-personed God"

Glorifying God or defending the dignity of ones theological understanding?

In my favorite chapter in "Mere Christianity", The Great Sin, CS Lewis speaks about why God is concerned about Man's pride. He says, "We must not think Pride is something God fordibs because he is offended at it, or that Humility is something He demands as due to His own dignity-as if God himself was proud. He is not in the least worried about his dignity. The point is, He wants you to know Him; wants to give you Himself. And he and you are two things of such a kind that if you really get into any kind of touch with Him you will, in fact, be humble-delightedly humble, feeling the infinite relief of having for once got rid of all that silly nonsense about your own dignity which has made you restless and unhappy all your life."

So often we Reformed folks are so concerned about God's dignity and believe that we must defend it against those simpiltians who simply seek to love Him. We are offended by their lack of systematic and confessional sophistication when it comes to theology. For, don't they understand what the Westminster says, "The Chief end of man is to Glorify God!" This means knowing your catechism in and out and being able to explain the difference between one who is Truly Reformed and one who Thinks they're a Christian.

Far too often we forget the last part of the catechism answer, "and enjoy him forever!" Lewis makes a great point when he states that God is not concerned about His own dignity as if He were proud. This is not why he mourns over our sinful pride, rather, its because it keeps us from enjoying Him, it seperates us from the life of the Trinity and the beauty of his holiness.

Lewis makes another great point when he explains that when we are redeemed by Christ and the power of the spirit joins us to the divine life, we come home. Pride within a home is like a cancer that destroys the love between the husband and wife and spreads to the very ends of each childs soul. Joy only flourishes within the home when the principle of my life for yours is applied in every room.

The Father, Son, and Spirit are not concerned about their own honor or glory. They sacrifice their own glory, offering up their life for the other. This love is poured out into creation and then most profoundly in the redemption of God's people. We are told within Scriptures that God is Love. The very thing that reveals God most clearly, the Cross of Christ, is the greatest manifestation of love, and this is the pinnacle of history. When God became man and walked this earth He said that the most important thing to remember was to love God and neighbor.

If we are not loving God and neighbor we cannot possibly be enjoying him, if we are not loving and enjoying him we cannot glorify him.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Oh, the sacrifices of being a paper boy!

I awoke this day, like the past fifteen or so, confounded by the sheer ridiculousness of getting up at 2:50 am to deliver newspapers in Pullman. Early on I was driven by nerves and adrenaline from the newness and challenge of my "new life" in Moscow. But now I'm not quite sure what is driving me to this madness. Once I get myself out the door and into the car I begin to drink one of those energy drinks you see in gas station markets that you promise yourself you would never drink unless you had to get up at 2:50 in the morning, this one happens to be called "RockStar" (another reason never to buy one).
For the first week or so I listened to the most modern/contemporary pop-rock station on the dial. I found that the shallow upbeat music went well with the mindless task of hurrying through the neighborhood delivering papers. I had a few profound thoughts about the music like, "who listens to this crap", and "this is the epitome of life without the walls of God's Covenant." Once I began to realize my mind going to mush from all the teeny-bopping I could handle, I have switched back to something a little more sophisticated. Too bad all the classical music is on NPR, are there any good Christian stations out there?
My mind races from thoughts about God's beautiful creation in the solitude of the early morning, to why I'm up before three.
The last couple of days I have found myself reciting in my mind, "don't worry little trooper it will get better, this will not last forever." Yet, ultimatley this reminds me of one of my greatest weaknesses. I keep thinking I have grown out of this, but I find myself still struggling with always wanting it to be easy, comfortable, painless, fun, etc. And God continues to teach me that this is not the way its going to be. I was just reminded recently that Christ did not die so that we may live, but rather that He died so that we may die.
The path that leads to life is getting up at 2:50 in the morning, coming home and going to your second job for another eight hours, and then coming home to the ones you do it all for and rejoicing with them over a meal for another long and beautiful day that the Lord has made.

Paper Boys and Girls in Training!

working

Learning something new is like being a child all over again,
yet its not as exciting and fun;
rather it's painful.
Your pride is stripped bare naked for all to see
through the little beads of sweat covering your brow,
and the obscenities are racing through your mind
while one slips out to everyone's surprise.

a little picture of early life in Moscow

I am a paper boy,
flying through the neighborhood
while she sleeps under shooting stars
and a pale moonlight,
faithfully delivering the tightly rolled,
rubber band enclosed message,
which they believe and recieve unthankfully,
as they unroll the paper and throw away the rubber band.