Like the other friends of Job, Eliphaz was convinced that Job was suffering because he had sinned. Eliphaz was wrong about that. But he paid Job a high compliment when he said,

You have encouraged many;
You have strengthened failing hands.
Your words have kept him who stumbled from falling;
You have braced knees that gave way (Job 4:3-4).

Evidently, Job had earned the reputation of an encourager. I get the impression that when other people saw him coming, they smiled because they knew he would listen with sympathy and speak with kindness. I thank God for people like that, don't you?

Some of my recent experiences have reminded me of the value of encouragement. I've enjoyed getting to meet and speak to congregations of the Church of Christ at Adrian and Fritch, Texas. Both of those churches provide financial support to the Bible Chair ministry at Amarillo College. During my visits to them, they added some moral support for the director as well. Great people.

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Just a follow up on the Stephen King thing: there was a comment on that post from Greg Stevenson, who teaches a course on popular culture and religion at Rochester College. He's recently started blogging and has a good entry on "Stephen King's Religious Stories." The rest of his blog, called "Caritas," is cool too. You can check it out and welcome Greg at http://caritas2.blogspot.com

Another Study Resource

Bible students and teachers should check out the “Christian Classics Ethereal Library.”

This site--sponsored by Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan--contains a tremendous amount of material in the public domain and is well organized. Here you can find the Bible in several translations, as well as Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias.  There are also countless items like Augustine’s “Confessions” and the commentaries of John Calvin.  (You don’t have to be a Calvinist to learn from his truly rich expositions).

The site also features the “Executable Outlines” section, where teachers can find detailed study guides covering various topics and books of the Bible. The author of these outlines is one Mark A. Copeland, who seems to have a connection to one of the two conservative branches of the American Restoration (a.k.a. Stone-Campbell) Movement.

The homepage can be found at the following address:  http://www.ccel.org/

The Spirituality of Stephen King

The other night, Michele and I watched "The Green Mile" on DVD. It's not among my favorite films. But she had never seen it before, was intrigued, and had picked it up along with some other movies at the library.

Just as it got rolling, I warned Michele about the three execution scenes, the second one being especially graphic and ugly and painfully-long. We hid our eyes and fast-forwarded through some of it. I've seen some rougher movies and documentaries. But for some reason, the depictions of hyper sadism in this one just really get to me.

Anyway, this time around I was remembering that, like "The Shawshank Redemption," this movie originates with Stephen King. And, again like Shawshank, "The Green Mile" is loaded with spiritual themes like redemption, retribution, the innocent suffering for the guilty, and on and on it goes. These story lines seem to take "principalities and powers" a lot more seriously than do most other contemporary films. And, in the Green Mile you even have a messiah figure whose initials are J.C.

So my off-handed question is, Why do we always hear about Stephen King as a writer of horror? Or is that merely his pop-culture and surface persona, the most obvious facet of his fiction obscuring the other facets? I also wonder, Are there any writers or discussions out there that deal with the "spirituality" of Stephen King? Also, what about his own religion, formative and current? It seems to be fairly rich and nuanced.

Any help? Thoughts?

Adult Bible Classes

Six months ago, I did a couple of posts on adult Bible classes taught in a church setting. One entry was asking for ideas and suggestions. The other post was about a book I had discovered and really liked.

Since then I’ve done some surfing around, just looking for ideas and helpful sites. Within the next week or so, I want to post a bit of what I’ve come across.

For starters, church education directors and adult Bible class teachers can get some inspiration from a short but important piece by Flavil R. Yeakley, Jr., one of the most trusted voices among the Churches of Christ. You can read his article on the correlation between excellent adult Bible classes and church growth here.

Learning to Teach

I want to become a good teacher. I mean, a really good teacher.

I’ve had some great teachers myself. So I know what they can mean to a person. I want to do what they did as well as I can. In some ways, I’ll never equal the best of them. But in other ways, I’m convinced, I can do as much or more.

Something else I’ve become convinced of is the simple fact that although good teaching begins with mastery of the field of study, it doesn’t end there. Someone once said of Yogi Berra, “He knows more about baseball than anyone else; it’s too bad he can’t tell anyone else.”

I want to know and be able to tell. In my experience on the receiving end of instruction, mastery of a subject does not necessarily translate into great teaching. It helps, of course. But it’s no guarantee. Some of my greatest teachers would have been considered lightweights at professional meetings. Other people were presenting the academic papers and publishing the articles. But my best teachers knew how to bring what they learned to the classroom. That knowledge did not seem to depend on the relative merit of their academic credentials or publishing careers.

What I probably need to focus on is not more knowledge (although that wouldn’t hurt, and I have plenty of room for improvement there). Instead, what I want to do is to refine my method. Better yet, I want be refined as a person who knows how to really teach.

So, towards that end one of my current questions is, How can students be led to care about, be interested in, and think with a biblical text? One way, of course, is for them to become involved with the text it in some way. That idea is the genesis of what follows.

I was preparing to give an overview of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Taking my cue from something that Luke Johnson says in his book “The Writings of the New Testament,” I came up with a short assignment that served as the beginning of the class session. Each student was given a copy of what follows:

Imagine for a minute that one of your close friends, a guy named George, has been duped. He’s young, perfectly healthy, and has no problems breathing. But a medical-equipment salesman, with all the fervor of a fiery preacher, has sold him a respirator. “It’s the only way to really breathe, George!” the salesman had told him.

Of course, you realize that there are people who really need a respirator; sometimes people depend on them to live. George doesn’t begin to fall into that category. But whenever he’s at home, he connects himself to his respirator. He doesn’t like to leave it, but he will venture out of the house now and then, only if he takes his oxygen bottle. (The oxygen bottle was sold to him by another salesman who heard about George and pegged him for a sucker).

All of this is completely ridiculous. It would be funny if it weren’t so tragic. But it is tragic. It’s ruining George’s life. You have decided that enough is enough. Although you know longer live in the same state as George, you want to do what you can to help him. So you decide to write him a letter. What would you write?

Once the students wrote for about 5 minutes, I let them volunteer to read their letters to George. Some of them were pretty funny. And we had a lively discussion about the kinds of things George needed to hear.

I have no idea if the exercise helped the students to better understand Paul and the Galatians and the “judaizers” and the rhetoric of the letter. I hope it did, and I certainly don’t think it hurt. If things like this can help, then I want to come up with other interesting ideas and methods for leading people to encounter the texts for themselves, and not merely hear about the texts from me.

I’m writing up this little report to ask for your feedback on any or all of it. This teacher wants to learn. What do you think? What can you tell me?

Spring Break and Beyond

Last week was Spring Break for most schools around here, including the college. So, of course, we had planned to sell the house in Connecticut and buy the house in Texas during that week. While younger, less responsible people were out doing more-fun, less-responsible things, we would sit around signing documents we didn't understand.

But you know how it goes sometimes with excellent plans. Turns out we have a "buyer" who, for maybe-good reasons, isn't buying; or at least not yet. So, for the last several days, when I wasnt' talking to attorneys, real estate agents, and mortgage brokers, I've had to spend a lot of my time just meditating on "This too shall pass."

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Classes started again yesterday. So I was introducing Romans (at 9 a.m.) and then Psalms and Proverbs (at 10:30). When we came to the Proverbs, we talked about how the very nature of those little gems just doesn't leave room for the real complexity of life. As a result, two proverbs that are true enough might contradict one another. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" and "Out of sight, out of mind."

Interestingly enough, the Book of Proverbs seems to announce this caveat implicitly in 26:4-5. . . . "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself" and "Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes."

Got a favorite proverb?

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The Saturday edition of the "Amarillo Globe-News" includes a complete section called "Faith." Last week's issue included a story about a preacher who stages professional wrestling matches between good and evil characters. The piece included a photo of said preacher flying off the ropes ready to land on some poor guy dressed up in a devil costume, horns and all.

I still say the writer's of "The Simpsons" are more like chroniclers. I also say that preachers who want to preach like the great prophets, including the greatest one, will at least occasionally use a prop. I regret that I haven't done more of that myself. When did we decide that even though Jesus used things like coins to get his point across, all we ever needed was words?

Across the page from the wrestling story was an opinion article by an elderly Methodist minister. He was blaming the steep decline of mainline Protestantism on, get this, not enough questioning. His solution centers on reading books by John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, and their ilk. (By the way, don't you love the word "ilk"? It sounds so "ilky"). For those who've never read them, Spong, Borg, and company are the people who, in the name of academic integrity and authentic religion, try to undermine most every major truth claim of Christianity.
Hmmm.

Steely Dan -- Book of Acts

My cheap used copy of “Steely Dan: The Complete Guide to Their Music” just came in the mail yesterday. Why did I order this book? Now I’m having to go back through a bunch of CDs, listening for voices and instruments and phrases, etc. that I hadn’t fully appreciated before. I know this will pass, but right now it’s an acute fever. Is it just me, or does love for music grow stronger as we get older? Seems to me we understand music better as we age. Whaddaya think?

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What follows is 20 true-or-false questions over the New Testament Book of Acts. It was part of a recent exam I gave just to be sure my students were reading the Bible. For card-carryin’ Campbellites, this should be like an English teacher doing the “Word Power” quiz in the Reader’s Digest. Take a look:

1. The first several chapters of the Book of Acts take place in and around the city of Jerusalem.

2. Though not one of the original twelve, a man named Barsabbas became an Apostle of Jesus.

3. Peter once coupled the events of his day with an oracle found in the Book of Joel.

4. All of the initial converts to Christianity were Jews or Jewish proselytes.

5. More than one person in the Book of Acts is named Ananias.

6. Pure in form and spirit, the earliest Christian movement never struggled with ethnic division.

7. The martyrdom of Stephen sparked a persecution against Christianity in the city of
Jerusalem.

8. The earliest followers of Jesus preached the message of Christianity from the Jewish
Scriptures, which came to be known as the Old Testament.

9. When confronted by the resurrected Christ, Saul was on his way to Jerusalem.

10. The two most prominent human characters in Acts are the Apostles Peter and Paul.

11. The Book of Acts features baptism as an integral part of conversion to Christianity.

12. In Acts, Paul makes only one trip to Jerusalem.

13. Paul was a Roman citizen.

14. Paul and Barnabas had such a strong disagreement, they split up their missionary team and
went separate ways.

15. Some of the early Christians were also members of the Pharisee group.

16. According to Acts, Jewish synagogues were important to the spread of early Christianity.

17. Like Jews and Christians, the residents of the ancient city of Greece worshipped only one deity.

18. Acts contains only one account of the conversion of Saul (also called Paul).

19. Paul was born in Jerusalem.

20. The Book of Acts reports a sea voyage.

A Little More

Someone asked me to say a little more about my new job. (Thanks, Larry, for two decades of being a friend to me). So here’s a part of what I said in a recent update: . . .

Acts chapter 19 recalls a golden age in the ministry of Paul. At Ephesus, in the lecture hall of Tyrannus, he hosted daily discussions about Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God.

Luke tells us the outcome: “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10). Just think of it. As the result of steady teaching from a prime location in a prominent city, an entire region heard the Good News.

Now, I’m no Apostle Paul. But when I reflect on my new opportunities, I can’t help but draw a few comparisons:

1. As the director of Amarillo Bible Chair, I will have plenty of eager students. For several months before my recent move from Connecticut to Texas, the Chair was without a full-time director. Not much could be done to promote the classes. So a schedule of three courses for the spring semester was simply posted. That’s it. The total for those courses now stands at around fifty students. I wonder, How many more there will be once I’m able to establish some relationships and get settled into this new ministry?

2. I don’t know what “Tyrannus’ Lecture Hall” was like. But Amarillo Bible Chair owns an excellent facility, complete with a spacious classroom, useful library, a kitchen, student lounge, and plenty of office space. Best of all, it’s literally across the street from Amarillo College which serves more than 11,000 students. Who could ask for a better site?

3. Like ancient Ephesus, the city of Amarillo is the vital center of commerce and culture, education and entertainment for an entire region. What’s more, this primary city of the Texas Panhandle continues to grow. The most recent figures reveal that new housing starts have begun to slow down in most parts of the nation. But that’s not the case in Amarillo. With an increasing population and a heightened demand for more people with advanced training, the prospects for the College are bright.

The combination of those factors played a big part in my decision to accept the invitation to become Amarillo Bible Chair’s eighth director. I consider it a great opportunity and challenge.
But more than that, it’s also a big responsibility, one that I don’t take lightly.

I realize that for more than a third of a century now, area Churches of Christ and countless individuals have made sacrifices so that this ministry could begin and flourish. I recognize that standing behind me is a solid history, and I promise to do my best to honor that. I hope and pray that some of the best days for Amarillo Bible Chair lie ahead of us.

My Big Fat Church of Christ Tuesday, Writing

So now that a few folks among the Churches of Christ are starting to observe the traditional Christian calendar (here and there, anyway) I wonder if any of them are doing anything special for Mardi Gras (a.k.a. Fat Tuesday). It sounds like so much fun. But I just don't know where to begin. Any suggestions? Only the kinds of things that won't get me fired, please. Oh, and hurry!

* * * * * * *

For lent, I'm not giving up anything that hasn't already been denied. But does this mean I don't get to do the fat thing?

* * * * * * *

Something I've noticed is that written work is a lot like a kid. It involves a process that takes time. Finally birthing it is painful. It might not be perfect, but you are reluctant to change a thing. It's easy to overlook the flaws that others see. And that's mainly because there's a part of you that's in there, and you happen to like yourself. No wonder I get so defensive whenever I ask someone to tell me what they think of something I've written and they tell me.

At a writing school in New York, they have "the booth." You're in the booth when others in the class who have read something by you are talking about it. They're required to say something genuinely positive first. But then, they can mention what they think of as negatives. The writer, in the booth, can only listen. He cannot come to the defense of his work (himself).

I've only read about the booth. Never actually been in it. But it sounds like a good exercise, yes?

My "Brother Dowell"

I think that I'm just now "dealing with" the death of someone whom I had not seen for many years before his untimely demise. In fact, I know that's true because, these days, tears well up in my eyes every time I start to think about him.

It was weeks after his passing that word got to me in Connecticut. It arrived accidently, from someone who assumed I already knew. So the news was a shock.

It came at a time when my own world was a desolate place. I felt that much more alone. I don't know, maybe that's why I've waited until now. Maybe I couldn't do this back then.

His name was Dowell Flatt. And I loved him.

For many years, he taught Bible and also served as the Chairman of the Department at Freed-Hardeman College in Henderson, Tennessee, my alma mater.

During my years at Freed-Hardeman, there were about 125 guys majoring in Bible. "Preacher students" we were. We enjoyed as well as endured our classes under "Brother Flatt." (He was good and tough).

In or out of the classroom, we hung on every word he said. We laughed at all of his jokes and witty understatements. We wanted to be a lot like him.

More than anyone else, he encouraged me to attend Harding Graduate School once I'd finished my bachelor's degree. And that changed my life more than I imagined it would.

When I was the youth minister at the Church of Christ in Henderson, Tennessee, no one was more supportive of my feeble efforts than were Dowell and his wife, Della. (What a great person she is too).

I could ramble on and on about him. But I guess that I just want to register my memory that Dowell Flatt showed me grace and taught me truth at an important time in my life. So I'll always be thankful to God for him.

"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labor, and their works will follow them." --Revelation 14:13

Back at it

As many a blogger has learned, once you break for a while it's hard to get going again. That's life, right? The law of inertia kicks in. You start other habits.

When it comes to me blogging now, it's especially hard because, . . . well, how do you size up a month's worth of life transition? (That's my recent, unrecorded experience). I just can't write that much, or that well.

Anyway, there aren't too many things that could've jump started me these days. Here's one though. Donald Fagen (one of the two master minds back of the band called Steely Dan) is breaking the silence. You can check out the first few tracks of "Morph the Cat"--the album to be released in March--and sample the later tracks here.

If you give it a chance and take a listen, write back and tell me what you think. My impressions? It's solid and sweet. The music grooves and gives. And as expected, what great musicians he has playing with him. This guy is a genius.

Amarillo by I Don't Know When

So yesterday I was all set to have a hitch and wiring installed on my car. That way, later this week I can pick up a rental trailer, drive to my office, load up my books and then try to get a good night's sleep before leaving Connecticut the next morning.

My appointment at U-Haul was at 8:00 a.m., Monday, January 2nd. Two guys were there, looking mostly-ready to work.

20 minutes after my car went into the service bay, one of the guys came out and said, "You're gonna have to come look at this." So I followed him through the door that says, "Employees Only." There, with us standing behind my car, it was explained to me that the bolts that have to come out before the hitch goes on weren't coming out. I'd have to take the car somewhere else to have the bolts taken out. Then, I could come back for "Install the Hitch, Part Deux."

So I called the nearest Ford/Mercurcy dealership (within spittin distance), finally got through to the Service Department, explained my unusual predicament, only to be told "Three of our mechanics are out sick this morning. Can't get you in. Sorry."

I really didn't have time for the nonsense, but wanted to ask, "And what sort of sickness do they have on Monday morning, January the second? Or does that sound too much like I think they all have the same thing?"

Click. Next call was to Dillon Ford. I got through to Service, explained the situation. The guy said, "Bring it over." So I brought it over. At the service desk, I began explaining my sad story again. The guy stopped me and pointed. I mean he pointed, like we were both supposed to stop, turn towards Mecca, hit our knees and pray.

Turned out, the guy was pointing towards the Dillon body shop, as in, "That's where you can get the problem solved." So I drove the car over to the body shop. (By this point, there's a part of my mind that was thinking, "You're never going to make it."). Once again, I explained the whole thing quite well; I was getting really good at it by that point. The guy, who looked like he knew what he was doing, just nodded.

Within about 10 minutes, the bolts were out. The guy said, "Gimme ten bucks." Of course, wanting to account for all my moving expenses, I took out my debit card. The guy who'd just saved me was mildly irritated. "No, I mean ten BUCKS." Oh, thought I, this guy wants buck skins. Bills. Moolah.

But did I have it? Just about the time I was getting good in a near-cashless system, here was a guy who wanted 10 dollars cash! To my relief, I discoverd that I had it. Whew!

Back in the car, I noticed that I should have, by that time, been done with all of this. Instead, I was going to get the hitch and wiring installed. And it happened. But not without an adventure.

Anyway, a few days back someone asked if I was still packing. Yep.