Sometimes Work Doesn't Feel Like Work

A good time this past weekend at the 1890s living history farm where I am on staff. It's always great when we have a fun event planned to draw visitors in, and when I arrived Sunday I was looking forward to a third day of our ice harvest event. But the walk down the farm lane; which is beautiful most of the time, was absolutely glorious on Sunday. The place was absolutely covered in frost that sparkled under the bright morning sun. I took a bit of the morning to snap a few views of the farm before we had to get to work on the ice.

We had already had two very good days of ice cutting. As an 1890s farm we try to portray daily life on a typical Northern Illinois farm. Ice was cut from ponds, lakes and rivers every winter and stored in an ice house. On a farm the ice was used to cool the water in the milk storage tanks where cans of milk were stored before being taken into town or shipped on the railroad. Blocks of ice were also needed to put into the family's ice box to keep food cold and prevent spoiling.

For me, the best use of the ice is when we have children take ice out of the ice house during our July 4 celebration and chop it up to use in our ice cream freezers. With hundreds of kids and parents standing there in the heat of summer, they can see how people living in the 1890s provided for something as basic as ice. We talk about how the ice was packed into the ice house back in the winter and they are always amazed it lasts until we dig some out six months later.

This year we had bitter cold on our first day of harvesting (Jan. 24), but the warm up on the weekend along with sunny skies brought out more visitors to participate in the harvest than we've ever had. To be honest, the colder days were better from the perspective of getting ice cut. The sawing and other harvesting work keeps you active enough to keep you warm, but the warmth on Sunday afternoon made the job sloppy as the ice became covered with water and the ice blocks were wet due to the melting.

First the ice is scored with ice plows to create a grid of lines that will guide the cutting. Ice saws are used cut open a channel along which ice blocks can be floated to shore for loading onto the wagons and sleds used to take the ice back to the ice house. Once the channel is open, blocks are cut out along the two sides that run perpendicular to the open water in the channel. Then a break off bar is used to chip away at the line running parallel to the open water. This breaks the block free of the ice field and the block floats into the channel. There it is guided, using pike poles to the loading ramp.

We use a grapple attached to a rope and pulley to lift the blocks up the ramp and onto the wagons. Our team of percherons got a work out this weekend as they hauled nearly ten loads of ice to the ice house. Where it was unloaded and packed in straw to await its use this summer.

Working with great co-workers and volunteers in a beautiful winter setting; sharing a love of history with hundreds of eager guests; and putting in a day of good, old-fashioned hard work. All in all, not a bad way to spend the weekend.

Let The Riots Begin!

As you read this post, just think what the story would be like if it were a play about Mohamed and those reacting to it were Muslim.

This story is about a play set to open in Sydney soon in which Jesus is portrayed as gay and is seduced by Judas. The gay Christ also performs a gay marriage involving two of the apostles.

Christians are understandably upset that their Lord and Savior is being portrayed in a manner that is entirely inconsistent with the teachings of the faith that bears His name. So, is the director of the play hiding in fear of reprisals by radical Christians? No, on the contrary, it turns out that Leigh Rowney is not feeling the need to hide. He is giving media interviews and, according to gay website Angel City's Devil, hoping all the controversy will sell tickets. Of course the article also points out that those evil Christian extremists have called the production "blasphemous." They also point out, without citing specifics, that the American run of the play received "consistent bomb threats."

But, go back to my instructions at the beginning of this post. You know darn well that were this a play about Mohamed that we would be hearing about riots and protests and several people already dead. Some of our so-called leaders would be condemning the playwright, the director, the cast and perhaps even the stage hands for "insulting a proud and peace loving faith" or some such drivel.

Consider, for example the case of Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders who is under state protection for his stance opposing the Islamization of Europe. Wilders is set to release a short film critical of Islam's attacks on Western values? Iran, by the way is threatening the Netherlands with reprisals (and I think we all know what they really mean by that) if they allow the film to be shown.

But, once again, we see that the pseudo-intellectual left feels safest when it attacks Christianity. Perhaps that's because deep down inside they are cowards and they know a true religion of peace when they see it. They know what happens to those who attack Islam by making movies, writing books, or naming a teddy bear mohammed. They know and so they won't go there.

Instead they attack Christianity and Jesus Christ himself. But, you will not see Christians ranting in the streets for the head of anyone in this matter. The best Christians respond to such attacks Biblically:

Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. -Romans 12:14

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect. -Matthew 5:44-48

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. -Matthew 5:10-12

We are not surprised when our faith and our God are attacked by this world:

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. -II Timothy 3:12-13

We also know that our God does not need us to fight His battle against evil for Him:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. -Romans 1:18-32

In fact, nowhere in the Bible will you find it said to Christians that they are to go forth and conquer evil on God's behalf. And that is why you will not see riots, murder and mayhem over this.

New Sermon Series

I am excited about Pastor Jim Nicodem's new sermon series "Text Messages From God." The series will focus on how to read, interpret and apply the Bible. The first was presented this past weekend and was on the Bible itself and how we can depend on its reliability and authenticity. The video is available here. It was a great message, and the introductory video was hiliarious.

Huckabee and Submissive Wives

I have been away from the blog for some time and this may no longer be a timely topic, but it has been floating around in my head for several weeks. By now almost everyone has seen the way Mike Huckabee is being criticised for signing onto 1998 Statement On the Family from the SBC. Liberals are trying to paint Huckabee, and by association all who hold similar views, as dangerous throwbacks trying to oppress women. Take for example, this from Bill Press:

Were Huckabee ever to become president, American women would have to prepare to be treated as second-class citizens. But they’re not the only ones. So would all non-Christians.

Wow! Sounds like a pretty bad dude! Let's look at some facts.

First, there is a lot to legitimately criticise with regard to Huckabee. That said, I agree 100 percent with his support of a Biblical view of the family.

The section of the statement getting all the attention is this: "You are right because you called wives to graciously submit to their husband's sacrificial leadership." But, as with many criticisms of Christians, this is taken out of context and without any understanding. I actually dealt with some of this in an earlier post. It was in that post that I expressed the belief that it is the secular world, not Christianity that demeans women. Let's dig into it a bit deeper.

First of all, Huckabee and his wife were among more than 130 to sign onto the ad, expressing their support. Among the other signatories: Dennis Rainey, Franklin Graham, Anne Graham-Lotz, Tony Evans, T.D. Jakes, Joseph Stowell. All of them well within the mainstream of the evangelical community and many of these were accompanied by their spouses in showing support.

Second, the ad also included these lines, which the media and critics largely ignore:
You are right because you called husbands to sacrificially love and lead their wives.
You are right because you affirmed that the husband and wife are of equal worth before God.

I think that is of key importance. I find it interesting that Joe Stowell (one of my personal favorite Bible teachers) signed the ad, because I actually heard him preach on this very topic at a marriage conference. His words to husbands cut me to the core then, and still do: "Husbands, are you willing, every day, to go to the cross for your wives?"

That is an important thing to understand. Because in Ephesians 5 the love of a husband for his wife is compared to Christ's love of the church. Christ submitted to beating, torture, ridicule and crucifixion for His church. Husbands are called to love their wives that much. The burden of Ephesians 5 falls heavily on any man who truly wishes to be obedient to God. Indeed, Paul devotes 3 verses to the woman's relationship to her husband, but more than double that to the man's relationship to his wife.

Notice too, that the SBC ad refers to the husbands role as that of a servant leader. The fact is, Paul called on all Christians to serve one another. Slaves were told to submit to their masters, but masters were likewise told to treat their slaves "in the same way." The standard here is that no matter what our earthly station, all in the church are equal before God. As Paul writes in Galatians:

You are all sons of God through faith in Chirst Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

There is no second-class citizenship here, despite what Bill Press may think. There is (or rather, should be)in the church an equality among the members in which service to one another is a high priority. In Romans Paul writes:

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

In this area of criticism, truth is on Huckabee's side.