The Marrow Controversy is one of those obscure questions that appears on the ARP examinations.  Many a student has little knowledge of this controversy that involved, among others, the Erskine brothers.  As a result of the Erskine brother connection, the ARP holds to the “free offer of the gospel”.  The Marrow Controversy shaped the groups that would one day shape the ARP.

I heard of the Marrow Controversy while in seminary, but it was not discussed or examined in any great detail (I can think of a few guys who were examined in Central Florida Presbytery who wish it had so they could answer R.C. Sproul’s questions about evangelism as Calvinists).

One of my favorite Puritans, Thomas Boston, was central to the Marrow Controversy.  The Controversy involved The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher.  Thomas Boston witnessed its censure by the Church of Scotland and saw this as an attack on the gospel itself.  He and the Erskines were among “the Marrow Men” who believed Fisher’s book defended true Christianity against both anti-nomianism and legalism.

Phil Ryken’s introduction to a recent (and needed) reprinting of this book is helpful to put some of this together.  This new edition includes Thomas Boston’s explanatory notes.  Even more helpful is Sinclair Ferguson’s lectures Pastoral Lessons from the Marrow Controversy.  It has 3 lectures that examine its history, the twin problems of license and legalism, and their resolution in the free grace of God.  In many ways, Tim Keller’s book The Prodigal God is a modern defense of free grace against license and legalism.  It is the Marrow Controversy applied to today.

“Anyone who comes to grips with the issues raised in The Marrow of Modern Divinity will almost certainly grow by leaps and bounds in understanding three things: the grace of God, the Christian life, and the very nature of the gospel itself.”- Sinclair B. Ferguson

It seems strange to think of license and legalism as twin deviations from the gospel of free grace.  Ferguson notes that both involve the same type of error, that of separating Christ from His benefits.  The antinomians, who were largely Arminian in their theology, created a conditional salvation.  Christ, they argued, died for all men.  But salvation is not granted to all men, but is conditioned upon faith.  This view often lapses into neo-nomianism wherein faith is the new law.  People are forgiven of their sins by Christ, but are sent to hell for unbelief or enter heaven by faith.  This neglects the fact that unbelief is itself sin for which there must be some atonement.

The legalist also separates Christ from His benefits.  They do this by making conditions that must be met prior to being offered the gospel.  This error is often called hyper-Calvinism.  Calvin held to the free offer of the gospel in which there are instrumental means which take place (faith) but not conditions that must be met (sorrow for sin, repentance etc.).  So, as Ferguson notes, they hold to unconditional election but conditional grace.  This is another version of the Galatian error of adding something to Christ in order to be saved (Christ + circumcision, Christ + anything).

We often find that one extreme begets the other.  In arguing against lawlessness, many a man sounds an awful lot like a legalist (and may in fact be).  In Scripture, the problem of lawlessness is the grace of God.  But in most books that seek to expose lawlessness the answer is more about what we do than what Jesus has done.

Ferguson strongly argues that this is one of the most pastorally vital controversies.  As pastors we deal with lawlessness and legalism constantly.  We find ourselves caught between them, accused of being a legalist by the lawless and lawless by the legalists.  Yep, been there and have the scars to prove it.

We pastors and elders would do well to study this controversy as a result.  Our ministry is all the weaker when we do not.  So, pick up that Ferguson series, Keller book or Fisher’s book.  Wrestle with the license and legalism in your own heart, and find God’s sufficient answer- the Christ who came to save sinners of all stripes.

Tim Keller has begun blogging.  One of his first posts is on the balance between time preparing a sermon and other pastoral tasks.  His point is that in Reformed circles, we can often think that great preaching cures a multitude of ills.  But meaningful ministry is far more than that (not less though).

He brings up the pattern of John Calvin who taught and/or preached almost every day.  But he also spent Thursdays in the consistory counseling with people about their sins, temptations.  He spent the better part of a day each week shepherding the people.

It is then that Keller says something surprising:

I pastor a church with a large staff and so I give 15+ hours a week to preparing the sermon. I would not advise younger ministers to spend so much time, however. When I was a pastor without a staff I put in 6-8 hours on a sermon.

I suppose I would expect Tim Keller to give 15 hours to sermon prep.  He has a lifetime of learning upon which to draw.  I probably spend about 15 hours on sermon preparation.  Much of that is sorting out how to communicate the text: structure, application, illustration.

I try not to spend too much time in commentaries.  They can become redundant and you have a law of diminishing returns (so choose wisely!).  You can also get too many good ideas and feel the burden of trying to say everything.

I wanted to spend more time in shepherding.  But in a small congregation there are only so many problems people can have.  Or is that people who have problems (and actually want to deal with them).

A younger pastor will probably need more time to prepare a sermon since he is still learning how.  He does not have a lifetime of learning upon which to draw.  He needs to put in a bit more time in study.  I’m not sure 6-8 hours are enough time for a young pastor to properly prepare a solid, applicable sermon.

This does not mean a young pastor shouldn’t spend time with people.  When I started, I had lunch most Sunday afternoons with congregants.  I would meet people for lunch, did some counseling etc.  A small church pastor can devote 10-15 hours to sermon preparation and have adequate time to spend shepherding and leading.

So, I agree with Keller that pastors much do more than study and preach or teach.  Shepherding and leadership need to be regular, significant parts of their week (administration as well).  I guess we just have different estimates of who much time a young man needs to adequately prepare a sermon

“I’m just a big ego, and everywhere I  go

people know the part I’m playing…”

So went the lyrics on a spoof on David Lee Roth’s cover of Just a Gigolo.  It fit since he was often said to possess quite the ego.  I read an  interesting chapter on ego in leadership.  I started a new book, The Longview: Lasting Strategies for Rising Leaders today.  It is written by Roger Parrott, the President of Belhaven College.

The first 2 chapters were great.  The first was on the challenge to take the longview, or to make decisions as if you will never leave.  He finds (with support from many business studies) that what is wrong with business (and the church & parachurch) is that decisions are made only for the short-term to get quick results so you can move to the next position.

As I read this chapter I was convicted.  At a particular point I started thinking of my next position, and sort of checked out.  I probably made lousy decisions at that point.  And that is Parrott’s point- when you are treating the position as temporary it shapes your concerns and choices.  You want to look good NOW, with little to no regard for what will happen after you leave.

One reason people look toward the next position instead of taking the longview is ego.  They want bigger and better.  They view the current position only as a stepping stone to the next step up the corporate or church ladder.  This is why I didn’t go into youth ministry.  I knew I would only treat it as a stepping stone.  (Don’t worry, my pride showed up in other ways like the self-righteousness of not playing the “game”).

Because ego-driven leadership must be continually fed, it demands that immediate needs are always more important than the longview results, thus stifling opportunity for ministry of lasting value.

He offers some of the signs that a person is probably driven by ego (getting attention) rather than ambition (advances in the kingdom).

• Live Flamboyantly- drawn to lavishness in things and people.
• Inflate Vision- consistently over-promise and under-deliver.
• Act Invincible- winning is more important than what is prudent and wise.
• Ignore Critics- discredit or ignore those with different ideas, or who offer constructive criticism.
• Crave Adrenaline- gain energy in flagrant risk.
• Exaggerate Actions- exhaust rather than equip their staff.
• Become Sensitive- very thin-skinned, they either attack or isolate.
• Attract Groupies- people who will not/cannot challenge them.  They feed their attention addiction.
• Demand Appreciation- like a drug addict.
• Require Empathy- without offering empathy.
• Listen Poorly- they don’t want instruction, correction or good ideas.
• Enjoy Competition- gaining attention by prevailing over others.
• Control Obsessively- uncomfortable when they are not in control.
• Ignore Boundaries- they assume they are better than others, and not subject to the same rules.

Parrott references Good to Great.  This is the guy who often gets the job, but does not keep it for long since he can’t really do the job.  Churches often get sold a false bill of goods by candidates.  I’ve seen it too often.  And when the leadership realizes it they are often demonized by those not close enough to see it yet.  By the time most of the congregation realizes it, it is too late.

The man best able to sustain successful ministry is the humble man.  Humble people aren’t “born” they are created by faith and repentance.  They face temptation to be prideful and inflate ego but resist as the grace of God teaches them to say ‘no’.  Tim Keller advises pastors to listen to compliments, but “not to drink them in”.  What he means is acknowledge them instead of denying them (false humility), but not to live for them or be driven by them.  Pastors face this temptation every Sunday.  If you live for the “good sermon” something is wrong.

There are some good books in humility by Wayne Mack and C.J. Mahaney.  Both include helpful questions for recognizing pride to to direct you toward repentance.  But the main path to humility is God’s painful providences.  He works to humble us, bring us low, because so often we are unable to do it ourselves being prone to self-deception.  Failure, disappointment and more are experienced to teach us to rely not upon the flesh but upon Him who can raise the dead.

This is an important part of leadership, the pursuit of humility.  Apart from it leaders will not “play well” with others.  Ministry  will be all about them, not Christ and the gospel.  In process, churches, ministries and businesses are destroyed.

ByFaith Magazine interviewed Michael Horton about his recent book Christless Christianity.  The subtitle is The Alternative Gospel of the American Church.  Dr. Horton is assessing a growing problem in the American Church which his book The Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World seeks to answer.

Rather, it’s motivated by a concern that there’s this creeping fog of what sociologist Christian Smith called “moralistic-therapeutic-deism.” This has turned God into a tool we can use rather than the object of our faith and worship. I’m concerned that the gospel is being taken for granted, that Christ is a sort of life coach, but not the Savior. With the general shallowing within the culture, there is a shallowing of Christian faith and practice. We don’t really know what we believe and why we believe it.

I see this problem in a number of different ways.  You see it in the Word Faith movement and the related Prosperity (false) Gospel.  A minor theme of Scripture is treated like the main theme of Scripture at the expense of the real main theme of Scripture (redemption & restoration).  Jesus helps you get what you want rather than does whatever it takes to make you like Him.

But, as Dr. Horton rightly notes, this is not a “them” problem.  This is a problem in churches that find themselves in the Reformed community where Scripture is used to provide moral examples instead of pointing to Christ and His great work of salvation.

We need to be asking the question—when it comes to outreach, evangelism, worship, the songs we sing, the visitation we do, even diaconal ministries: How is Christ being delivered to sinners—even lifelong Christian sinners—in this time and place?

We are to explore this great theme and all its implications from Genesis to Revelation.  And it should be holistic- how we do ALL that we do.  Too often churches are more concerned about the style of a song than the message of a song.  There are traditional and contemporary songs that are sung every week in normal churches that have little to nothing to do with Christ and Him crucified.

I love the line from Martin Luther. He was asked what’s the place of good works if all is of grace. Luther replied, “God doesn’t need your good works, your neighbor does.”

This comes in the context that we come to worship to be served, not to serve.  We are not consumers, nor are we slaves.  Just as Jesus came not to be served but to serve, He continues to show up on Sundays seeking to serve because He has given His life as a ransom for many.  He continues to pour out grace purchased on the Cross upon His people.  This is the only proper foundation for our obedience and service.  This is the point of the children’s catechism I use with CavDaughter- We love and serve God because He made us, saved us and keeps us.

I might not agree with Michael Horton on all things, but we are in synch here.  It is time that more pastors, elders and Christians begin to ponder what it is we are doing and why.  We need to weigh what we are doing in light of Scripture which contains (is) the sound doctrine in accordance with the gospel (1 Timothy 1).

I’ve been holding my metaphorical tongue on this issue for some time.  I am thoroughly convinced that most Americans, particularly those who hold office just don’t get it.  In a number of ways.  They don’t really understand the problem.  And if you don’t really understand the problem you will not put together a good solution.  It seems that the media & majority politicians portray the problems as 1. insurance companies and 2. Republicans.

Here are some of the problems that need to be addressed, but don’t seem to even be mentioned.

• Health Care Providers. Often they are concerned about their bottom line, and not your wallet or your health.  As a result, tests are repeated instead of examining the results from just an hour ago.  I’ve seen it in my job in health care.  The patient goes from the ER to the main floors and all kinds of tests are repeated.  It is as if the tests done in the ER didn’t occur.  Well, the patient wishes they didn’t because they have to pay for them.  One contributing factor is health insurance providers who pay according to the test, not knowledge & expertise.  But it is also the health care providers who want to pay off their MRI instead of the one at the other hospital you went to last week.  Health care providers also do not have a fixed rate for services.  Often they are re-priced so the people who can least afford to pay more actually do.  Of course there are irresponsible people who don’t pay their bills, and the health care providers recoup the losses by charging responsible people more.
• Drug Companies.  They now advertise convincing an unenlightened populace that they have a problem that can only be solved by medication.  The use of these new drugs drives up costs, and therefore the cost of insurance.  They seem to be in cahoots with the medical establishment which keeps changing the “normal” results for blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.
• State Legislatures.  They are guilty of many sins in this matter.  They block consumers from receiving insurance from companies beyond state lines actually creating some of the “monopolies” the Federal Legislatures whine about.  They also legally mandate coverages which many people do not need, driving up the costs for the health insurance.  For instance, in the 90’s MA mandated infertility treatment to be covered by insurance companies.  This is expensive, and many people didn’t need or want infertility coverage (they are too old, quite fertile or just plain interested in adoption).
• People like the late Teddy Kennedy.  They have convinced many Americans that health insurance (not health care, health insurance) is a right and entitlement.  It is not.  It is wise to protect oneself from medical catastrophe, but we’ve been told that we should not save money for our ordinary health expenses.  It is all the extra coverages that drive up the price, much of it you never use (and therefore waste) unless you do have a serious medical condition.
• Lawyers.  How could I forget these guys?!  Lawsuits drive up the cost of malpractice insurance which means they also drive up the cost of health care which drives up the cost of health insurance.  We desperately need tort reform, which the Democrats might consider.  It should be one of the first things on their docket, but it is barely on their radar.
• We the People.  We are greedy too (yes, corporate greed is not just about corporations but also large groups of people like us).  We want “Cadillac” health plans to cover everything.  It is so prevalent that CNN had the average family of 4 with health premiums of $1,500/month.  We pay about $600 with our high deductible HSA plan.  Do you think we actually spend $900 a month on ordinary medical expenses?  No, we don’t.  People could save lots of money if they would recognize their own greed, and sense of entitlement for the “Cadillac” health plan.  We also make foolish choices (not just lifestyle, but in health care).  We eat too much, drink too much, smoke too much etc. which contribute to numerous health problems.  Government regulation isn’t the problem- we are.  Many people also use the ER as their primary care physician instead of other options like Urgent Care facilities which cost less.  ERs get bogged down in non-emergencies.   I see it every day.

So there is plenty of guilt to go around.  Let’s not scapegoat a few people.  And let’s not settle for legislation which refuses to address these problems (an others) as well as exacerbating existing problems (if you’ve had experience with any government health care problem you know how well they’ve run those).

Senator Harry Reid shouldn’t be whining about the Republicans.  He doesn’t need even 1 Republican vote.  He can’t even get his own party members to buy into his plan.  Why?  Because it is horrible!

What do we need?

• Tort Reform to cap payouts and limit needless lawsuits.
• Fair pricing for services, and pricing information so you can shop around for health service providers.
• Realistic expectations.  Most of us will do well with a “Ford Focus” health plan.  Most Americans would save lots of money with a high deductible HSA plan.
• Reduction of state laws mandating coverage (and rejection of the federal law that would mandate coverage) and limiting access to plans beyond the state lines.  Really, should anyone be mandated to have health insurance?  That is what the bills being considered will do.
• Reduction of business taxes & taxes on the “rich” who happen to employ people.  The economy is stagnate, and government spending does not boost the economy.  Consumer spending and the expansion of business boost the economy (yes, I have a degree in Economics unlike the vast majority of politicians).  In a healthy economy people can have more choices for their health care.  History has shown that revenues then increase without impoverishing the people.
• Government needs to learn how to make a budget, and live within the countries means.  It needs to remember why it exists- to defend its citizens, and allow people the freedom to pursue their happiness (even if they never get it).  It is not intended to control our lives & decisions.  It is to punish those who do evil.
• Recovery of personal responsibility.  People should bear their own load.
• Recovery of generosity.  Sometimes people are overburdened.  These people are not slackers, but have experienced catastrophe.  Communities can rally behind them to sustain them.  Churches do this all the time.  It is voluntary and connected to love.  When the government does it it is not just less efficient but oppressive and tends to enable people since it cannot discern between irresponsibility and genuine need.

Sadly, we seem to be on the verge of more government control, greater taxes, less efficiency etc.  By thinking government is the answer, and failing to recognize the contributing factors, government will create a bigger mess.  And that mess will be more difficult to fix (ask any British politician who talks about reforming the Public Health Service).

I assume most of you just went “who?”.  No, he’s not a theologian or a sports figure.  He’s a Florida politician who is gunning for Mel Martinez’ (who was a bit of a disappointment as a Senator) vacated Senate seat.  FL. Gov. Charlie Crist has set his sights on that same seat.  They are in the same party.  One is clear about where he stands, the other has a record of standing in too many places on too many issues.

Rubio has begun to gain name recognition in Florida.  And beyond.  He is a real conservative option for the mid-term elections.  Unlike Crist, he really is a conservative politician.  Here is an interview from the American Spectator.

When I was offered the opportunity to read and review Christianish by Mark Steele, it looked very interesting to me.  The subtitle is “What if we’re not really following Jesus?“  I am not familiar with Mark Steele, but the subject interested me.

Here are the positives:

• Mark Steele is a pretty funny guy who can tell a story.  In many ways this is similar to Donald Miller’s best work (in my opinion, Blue Like Jazz and Searching for God Knows What).  He uses rather lengthy stories to introduce the topic of the chapter.
• He has some important things to say.  There are a number great thoughts for the American church to consider.  There are many ways in which we truly are not following Jesus, and Mark identifies a great deal of them.

These things make the book accessible to broad evangelicalism.

The problem is that Mark never really gets to the core issue.  He never even really defines Christianish, but leaves it as fairly obvious.  Each chapter addresses one aspect of what he thinks is Christianish and how we should be instead, but he never gets around to defining the problem of what I call nominal Christianity, or cultural Christianity.  Some great thinkers like Jonathan Edwards (Charity and Its Fruits) and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship).  In those books, Edwards calls the problem counterfeit grace and Bonhoeffer cheap grace.  Steele’s perspective would have been deepened from spending time with these men, applying their thoughts to our generation.  This, in fact, is what seems to separate Donald Miller from Mark Steele.  Miller subtly comes off as well read.

Since Mark does not adequately identify the problem, he completely misses the cure.  It basically sounds like try harder, try differently.  It could be imagined that he is talking about repentance without clearly talking about repentance.  You get a sense similar to what I thought of MacArthur’s The Gospel According to Jesus after talking about it in class with Jerry Bridges.  Much of what John MacArthur says is true, but he neglects the doctrine of regeneration which gets to the core of the issue.

John Piper’s recent book, Finally Alive, is essentially addressing the same issues as Mark Steele’s.  Not as hip, to be certain.  But he gets to the core problem & cure: lack of regeneration & believing (and savoring) the gospel.  I think this is part of the problem with broadly evangelical books- they lack a depth of theology and saturation with Scripture.

I am aware that this sounds harsh.  I enjoyed reading Mark Steele’s book.  I just didn’t find it helpful in combating the remnants of Christianish in me, or others.  And address it we must.

Here is a video clip of an AccuWeather meteorologist discussing the influence of sun spots on “global warming”.  His thesis is that increased sun spot activity is responsible for the warming temperatures.  And that with said activity decreasing, we should have a period of cooling (which we have already entered).  One really interesting thing he shared was a picture of a US submarine at the North Pole in March 1959.  For it to be visible, there was a decided lack of ice, especially for March.  That is 50 years ago, before “global warming.”

I must confess that I have never read an Alister McGrath book, until now.  Three years ago a friend recommended The Journey: A Pilgrim in the Lands of the Spirit while I was on one of my journeys to the RTS Orlando Bookstore for a sale.  At some point I started to read it, but got stuck along the way.

Fast forward to my trip to PA earlier this month.  Seemed like a good book to bring.  I’m wondering why I put it down in the first place.  It was very appropriate for the place in life where I find myself.

Alister McGrath confesses that it is too easy for him to intellectualize his faith.  Here he is not advocating an anti-intellectualized faith, but internalizing the truth of our faith so it produces hope in the midst of life’s journey.  To do this he spends some time advocating biblical meditation (see my post on this).  This is part of the map he provides for us to persevere on the journey.

He takes Exodus as his template with alternating stages of wilderness and oasis.  To promote trust and hope in the midst of the suffering that will often mark this journey, he talks about remembering what God has done and anticipating what God will do.  These are essentially the past and future aspects of biblical meditation.

“The present was thus sustained by the memory of past events and the hope of future events.”

Along the way the introduces a series of landmarks from a biblical theology (creation, fall, redemption), and some companions for the journey.  He recognizes the need to learn from those who have gone before us.  He chooses men like Jonathan Edwards, J.I. Packer, C.S. Lewis, John Bunyan and more.

He grapples with things like doubt.  We can’t avoid doubt, especially when our hopes are dashed and we find ourselves wandering, seemingly aimlessly, for 40 years.  Or stuck in Winter Haven for 2+ years waiting, waiting and doing some more waiting.

“It is not merely others who have found the living God who accompany us; it is the living God himself.  His presence guards, consoles, and challenges us, energizing us as we journey.  The God who is the goal of our traveling is also our companion on that journey.”

There are times when I wonder if this eases my pain or aggravates it.  It is that doubt thing.  It twists your head and your heart.  You begin to wonder why He’d do such a thing to you.  But I think back, remember, times I’ve had to choose surgery for my son and sit holding him in his pain.  I did that because I love him, and want him to be whole.  It is not hate, but love that moves Him to bring me to the wilderness, and join me there.

“Failure is one of the most fundamental of all the wilderness experiences.  It can have devastating effects.  Those who fail often feel they are useless and have no place in God’s purposes. They are tempted to sit down by the side of the road and travel no farther. … God has a long history of taking self-confessed failures and doing great things through them.  Perhaps when we fail, we are most receptive to the grace of God. “

I suppose this could merit a separate post on failure.  Some of my friends are suffering other kinds of afflictions- life threatening afflictions.  Mine is only career-threatening.  But people are afraid of failures, people who’ve failed.  Sadly this is especially true in the church where we worship success.  Yes, admit it.  We want to hire away the successful pastor so he can make our church successful.

And so we miss the grace of God.

“Yesterday’s failure is today’s opportunity for growth, which leads to tomorrows success.”

So, in many ways this book met me where I needed to be met- in the wilderness surrounded by a pointing throng screaming “failure”.  And then the One who joins me…

It was CavWife’s birthday, so a plan was formed.  Disney offers you free admission on your birthday (I hear this plan will come to an end soon).  We had a friend who works for Disney able to sign the rest of us in.  It was a great way to spend the day together, affordably.  Best of all, it was October and temperatures would be more tolerable.

Little did we know, when making these plans, that her birthday would be smack dab in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave in Central Florida.  The Happiest Place on Earth became … the Hottest Place on Earth.

We met our friend who whisked us into the parking lot, free of charge.  We didn’t bring one of our strollers because she could also get us a double stroller, free of charge.  This was looking better every minute.  The only money we had to spend was on food.

We made our way through Main Street USA toward Fantasy Land, little realizing we would nearly be trapped there the entire day.  Going to Disney with 2 pre-schoolers is, well, different.  Everything takes 3 times longer, and there are suddenly rides you never even considered waiting in line to get on.  There are rides you really want to ride that you will never see all day.

We started off on the Merry-Go-Round.  CavSon was not too excited at first, but warmed up to it.  From there we could see Dumbo, and at first CavGirl wanted to go.  But that all changed.  We would get used to this.  We watched Mickey’s Philharmagic, a 3-D show (when it is really hot, you take advantage of these moments in the A/C).  CavSon really didn’t like it when anything came toward him.  CavGirl was reaching for the floating jewels, which was priceless.  Then off to Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight.

in line for Dumbo

While waiting for our fast track time to come, we made a short venture to Tomorrowland hoping that I could ride Space Mountain.  Those hopes were dashed like an egg tossed off a cliff- closed until Winter 2009.  So it was Monster Inc.’s Laughing Floor instead.  It was on the way back that CavGirl decided riding Dumbo would be fun afterall.  Joy of all joys, the line had doubled.  CavWife bailed on us (birthdays have their privileges), missing a monumental tantrum by the boy in line ahead of us.  She also missed the guy in front of us, who must have had a gallon of water ooze from his pores while waiting for Dumbo.  And then there was the Muslim family wearing half a store in the sweltering 90+, feels like 100+, temperatures.

Afterwards we ate a lunch I thought we’d never eat because of our seemingly endless search for a table.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed the train ride.  It was priceless to see CavGirl’s joy as the train pulled into the station.  After our trip around the park, the kids played in the splash pad zone.  Grinning ear to ear, and soaked to the skin, they had to keep pulling their shorts back up.

We made our way to the Speedway to ride the race cars.  Now late afternoon, we stopped to enjoy an ice cream before heading over to Adventure Land or Frontier Land.  That tasty delay proved pivotal as we got caught in a rain shower that effectively put an end to our day.  We took shelter by a pond and watched the ducks swim in the rain.  It always rains when we go to Disney, even if it hasn’t rained for weeks.  The stroller really helped the kids so they did not wear out or over heat.  But CavWife and I were beat.  If we stayed for the show at the Castle, we’d get home too late.  So we headed home.  It was then that we noticed that we had not seen more than one character- a fairy godmother.  On the way out we passed Chip and Dale who accosted me as a 12 year-old.  Rather than getting a photo op, we watched them pushed on by their handler.

A few observations from our day at Disney:

• Depravity was on Display-  it was nearly unavoidable.  People consistently did what they were not supposed to do.  They cut in lines, bumped the car ahead of them, sat in the middle instead of going to the end of the row.  Children were melting down, at times hitting their parents for not fulfilling their desires.  Parents were melting down, shaming children for “ruining” the day.  Inappropriate clothing was everywhere exposing more flesh than I needed to see (except for the Muslims obviously- interesting contrast).  The “Happiest Place on Earth” was filled with unhappiness, lust, anger.
• Leadership is Hard-  I kept surging ahead, leaving my family in the dust.  I wondered how often I did that as a pastor, charging off to blaze a trail only to find the rest of the group delayed and waylaid.  I need to remember to move more slowly.

Despite the hot temperatures, human nature and more, we had a great day celebrating CavWife’s birthday.  We are grateful for the opportunity we had to enjoy a day doing something special together.  It was a rare treat for us.