Silence
There is a scene in Twin Peaks where Special Agent Dale Cooper advises that we should take the time out every day to give ourself a little gift. It doesn't matter what it is, how big it is or anything like that. So long as it is something special for us to enjoy in the day.
I think that God does this for us, in ways that we both realize and don't. I'm not speaking here of the unfathomable and amazing gift of grace we have as Christians, namely salvation in Jesus Christ. I mean in our day to day ramblings we receive from God glimpses of heaven.
I thought about this yesterday as I drove to London and back. I realized that the Lord had given me a little gift by allowing me to be absent from our day long faculty meeting in Burlington. Thankfully, Dr. Haykin had asked me to go to London to pick up his laptop powercord he left in a hotel there on the weekend. So I jumped at the chance yesterday morning and drove in complete silence there and back. It was such a good time to think and pray, my mind feels well excercised. As Kierkegaard could say of silence, "If I were a physician, and if I were allowed to prescribe just one remedy for all the ills of the modern world, I would prescribe silence. For even if the Word of God were proclaimed in the modern world, how could one hear it with so much noise? Therefore, create silence."
An aspect of the gift was getting to visit some old friends whom I don't get to see often. Greg McManus is pastoring in London and I very rarely see him or his family. Greg and I have been friends for about 5 years now, a very good friend at that, so seeing him yesterday was a blessing to my soul. Greg has been one of the key shapers of my life, and I wouldn't be who I am today were it not for him. He's been a tremendous source of encouragement, wisdom and guidance. I really miss him, Lisa and the kids.
I ate lunch at the McManus' (graciously provided by Lisa) and Greg and I sat around talking about modern culture and philosophy. It never fails that, even when we don't talk for a while, our interests seem to move together. He's reading books that I would be very interested in and vice versa. In fact, after he drove me to the hotel to pick up Dr. Haykin's laptop cord, we went to Attic Books and bought our fill. He bought some of my recommendations and I his. I really only bought three books:
The World Treasury of Modern Religious Thought - Jaroslav Pelikan
Christ and Culture - H. Richard Niebuhr
Cytogenetics (for Vicky).
Last night the chair of New Testament Studies here at TBS (Dr. Pierre Constant) ate dinner with Vicky and I. Afterwards we sat around and drank wine, talking about issues in New Testament studies. I drove Pierre to the train station at 6:30am this morning - hence why I'm so tired today.
Tonight Vicky and I will help our friends Ryan and Christina Case move into their new apartment. Afterwards we'll likely go to prayer meeting at Holy Word Church.
That's all for now!
I think that God does this for us, in ways that we both realize and don't. I'm not speaking here of the unfathomable and amazing gift of grace we have as Christians, namely salvation in Jesus Christ. I mean in our day to day ramblings we receive from God glimpses of heaven.
I thought about this yesterday as I drove to London and back. I realized that the Lord had given me a little gift by allowing me to be absent from our day long faculty meeting in Burlington. Thankfully, Dr. Haykin had asked me to go to London to pick up his laptop powercord he left in a hotel there on the weekend. So I jumped at the chance yesterday morning and drove in complete silence there and back. It was such a good time to think and pray, my mind feels well excercised. As Kierkegaard could say of silence, "If I were a physician, and if I were allowed to prescribe just one remedy for all the ills of the modern world, I would prescribe silence. For even if the Word of God were proclaimed in the modern world, how could one hear it with so much noise? Therefore, create silence."
An aspect of the gift was getting to visit some old friends whom I don't get to see often. Greg McManus is pastoring in London and I very rarely see him or his family. Greg and I have been friends for about 5 years now, a very good friend at that, so seeing him yesterday was a blessing to my soul. Greg has been one of the key shapers of my life, and I wouldn't be who I am today were it not for him. He's been a tremendous source of encouragement, wisdom and guidance. I really miss him, Lisa and the kids.
I ate lunch at the McManus' (graciously provided by Lisa) and Greg and I sat around talking about modern culture and philosophy. It never fails that, even when we don't talk for a while, our interests seem to move together. He's reading books that I would be very interested in and vice versa. In fact, after he drove me to the hotel to pick up Dr. Haykin's laptop cord, we went to Attic Books and bought our fill. He bought some of my recommendations and I his. I really only bought three books:
The World Treasury of Modern Religious Thought - Jaroslav Pelikan
Christ and Culture - H. Richard Niebuhr
Cytogenetics (for Vicky).
Last night the chair of New Testament Studies here at TBS (Dr. Pierre Constant) ate dinner with Vicky and I. Afterwards we sat around and drank wine, talking about issues in New Testament studies. I drove Pierre to the train station at 6:30am this morning - hence why I'm so tired today.
Tonight Vicky and I will help our friends Ryan and Christina Case move into their new apartment. Afterwards we'll likely go to prayer meeting at Holy Word Church.
That's all for now!