My posts will be a bit slower this week. I’ve been afflicted with the bug that seems to be going around campus, and I am praying that it will clear out by the time I get on a plane Saturday morning to head to Brussels, Belgium where I’ll be spending a week with 13 others from Covenant on a Break-on-Impact trip. Students all around campus are gearing up (or down) for Spring Break. Do be in prayer for our students, faculty, and staff as they travel.

I will try to put some notes up following Anthony Carter’s talks which begin tomorrow morning. Rev. Carter is the pastor of Southwest Christian Fellowship in Atlanta, and is speaking this week on “Remember, Lest We Forget” a chapel series in honor of Black History Month.

In Dr. Paul Tripp’s final chapel talk today (Feb 20) he asked the question, “What is it that God calls you to in your relationships?”

We looked together at 1 Peter 1:3-9. Working from the bottom up (using “inverted logic”), he showed us that it is possible for Christians to be blinded to their identities (vs 9). When we are blinded, we become ineffective and unproductive. It’s about understanding our dual identity. When we forget who we are, we will stop living in the way God has called us to live.

What two identities are we holding in balance?

• We need to hold our identity as a sinner. Although the power of sin has been broken, its presence remains, and we need to be alert to this fact and recognize that moment by moment, we need God’s grace. Otherwise we fall into false righteousness and take that with us into our relationships.
• We need to hold our identity as a child of God’s grace, as recipients of the gift of the grace of God who has given us everything we need for life and godliness. This is the encouragement that we take into relationships–that God gives us the grace to be in them and is using them for his glory and for our sanctification.

We see this again in Hebrews 10:19-31. Verses 19-23 is a clear call to live with confidence based on the gift of grace in Christ. Verses 26-31 is one of the Scripture’s most serious calls to be serious about sin. Then, in between those two identities, in verses 24-25, we are called to community. We are not meant to do Christianity on our own, but in “intentionally-intrusive, Christ-centered, grace-based, redemptive community.”

As you think through your relationships and your community life, ponder the following:

1. How would your relationships change if you truly believed that they are owned by your Saviour?

2. What are the dangers of holding either of the above identity to the exclusion of the other?

3. Are you willing to allow others to intrude into your Christianity? What areas of your life do you try to keep others out of?

The big questions of today’s Chapel talk by Dr. Paul Tripp:

What in the world is God doing in my relationships?

How should I respond to it?

Dr. Tripp pointed us to 1 Peter 3, where Peter describes our current situation using three words: grief, suffer, trial.  Peter uses an example from Metallurgy to illustrate our Christian life. When we come to Christ we are in an “ore” state. Metal in its ore state is not usable, not attractive, full of imperfections that rob it of its strength and beauty. We too have imperfections and God, as our redeemer, is not willing to leave us in that state  (as Ore-ific Christians). “God will boil you” was one quote that stuck out to me. Through relationships, one of God’s most effective boiling pots, God is changing us. The difficulties that we experience in our relationships are a sure sign of his redemptive love for us, as he exposes us, drives us to the end of ourselves, and saves us from ourselves through the cross of Christ.

The other thing that stuck out to me was this: God will not shrink his grace to the size of my claustrophobic agenda. His goals for me are far greater and more beautiful than my own goals for myself, and I can rest in his sovereignty. This message is particularly helpful for students trying to figure out the future, and “find their calling.” Trusting that God is the one writing our story, and that he is far more concerned with shaping us and beautifying us and using us than we will ever be is a true comfort!

A few reflection questions:

1. Are you frustrated with God? In what ways is your agenda for your life different from His agenda?

2. Dr. Tripp talked about getting comfortable with the “theology of uncomfortable grace.” What does that mean?

3. What would it look like in your life to begin to see difficulties in relationships as God’s means of grace to you, his refining of you?

is YOU. That’s what Dr. Paul Tripp shared with us in this morning’s chapel, the first of five talks he is giving as part of our Marriage, Family, and Community Conference. He talked to us about the way sin shrinks our world down to the size of our own life, so that all that becomes important to us is the here and now, me and mine, material and physical, my wants, and needs, and my rights and positions. When we are engulfed in that mindset, focused solely on ourselves, we are unable to see that we are created for something much larger than ourselves, that we are meant to live for the kingdom!

Dr. Tripp read from 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (the bolded phrase is the key point he brought out) For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

We need to know both the diagnosis–our problem is US–and the cure–the gospel of Jesus Christ that rescues us from ourselves. The gospel frees us so that we are able to live for Him and for His kingdom in community with others. (Tomorrow’s topic is “Your Walk with God is a Community Project”)

A few questions for further thought:

1. In what ways have you seen your own desires, needs, or agenda overwhelm your interactions with others?

2. How have you seen sin shrink your world down to the size of your life?

3. How specifically can you encourage yourself and others to look to the cross for rescue?

Our chapel week has been unusual. We haven’t had any preaching this week for one thing. We have had four lectures. While the underlying bedrock of chapel is the exposition of the Word of God, we also enjoy the opportunity hear from various speakers about applying what we learn from the Word to specific issues in our world.

I won’t do justice to the lecturers this week, but here are some highlights.

Dr. Kathleen Nielson spoke to us in chapel Monday about abortion. She challenged us on the importance of bringing the light of the gospel to the subject of abortion. She asked us to consider three ways of doing this: First, by seeing. She encouraged us that the light of truth is always good. And we should seek to know the truth about abortion, from the numbers, to the lives impacted, to the details of the laws in place, its recent history as well as its far-reaching past, to its future. Second, by telling. By telling the stories of those who have been affected by abortions, who have been victims, both men and women. By listening to those stories, too, we are encouraging the telling of them. Finally, by welcoming children. As the church, we should be active in welcoming children, not only through marrying and having children, but through caring for orphans, welcoming foster children, adopting, mentoring. She encouraged the students particularly to look for ways to welcome and interact with children regularly. Getting involved in a local church is one great way to do this. Another is through outreach to children and young people in the city of Chattanooga.

Dr. Kelly Kapic spoke on Wednesday about Books That Changed My Life. He didn’t choose just one book, but spoke about numerous books that impacted him from his early days as a Christian until age 22. He mentioned that he never liked reading before he became a Christian in high school, and that reading the Bible really taught him how to read. He shared several books and how they impacted him at different stages of his spiritual growth (The Gospel according to Jesus, When Being Good Isn’t Good Enough, Passionate Reason: Making Sense of Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments, Certainty of Faith, The Emotional Life of Our Lord) but he also made the important point that it wasn’t just the book itself, but the environment in which he read the book that changed him. he also talked about reading and interacting with theologian Donald Bloesch as a formative experience. He challenged us to read and encounter authors outside our own traditions, to read authors we disagree with, to understand that our Christian family tree is a very large one, and that we may have a good deal to learn from its branches.

We finished up our week with two lectures from Dr. Craig Gay on the importance of words and our attitudes towards them. His chapel talks were in addition to the three lectures he gave to a class of students as part of our WIC Lecture Series. These are made possible by a generous gift from Women in the Church. His talks were taken mainly from the thesis of his book Dialogue, Catalogue & Monologue:
Personal, Impersonal And Depersonalizing Ways To Use Words.

Next week, we are looking forward to having Dr. Paul Tripp speak five times for our Marriage, Family, and Community Conference. The public is welcome to all sessions.

In Chapel today, our RUF Campus Minister Ron Brown preached from James 1:13-27 on Identity. He challenged us to be true to who we are. He laid the framework from the first eight verses (13-21) of three pregnancies and births. First, that our desire leads to sin in our lives that gives birth to death. Then, God as our Father births us as new creations. Finally, we are impregnated by the Word of God which produces or births life in us. And, this life that is produced is not just about knowing the truth, but doing it.

He challenged us to look at three areas in our lives to see our identity as God’s children who have the Word of God in us worked out:

Our speech. Do words of life come out of our mouths? Are we giving grace to those who hear us?

Our care for those around us: According to James, We have a Father, we are to have the heart of the Father for those in need, and we are to be a father, caring for those we see in need. So it is our identity (as Children of God our Father) worked out in our hearts and actions toward others. How are we active in living out our identity as children of God?

Our remaining unstained by the world: How do we view the culture around us? Do we see its staining effects? How do we seek purity in a culture that is falling further from it? And, how do we live IN that culture, without taking on its stain?

And a question for literary types . . . A chiastic structure in literature (and often identified in the Bible) is a series of statements or events that work toward a central statement or event and then back outward again. The structure is ABC…CBA (sometimes ABCBA). A chiastic structure of statements exists here in James’ writing, in verses 15-27 of chapter one. Can you identify it? How does it help us relate the statements to each other?

On Monday evening, we’re pleased that Brother Emmanuel Gatera from Rwanda is going to be on campus to talk to students about his work in Rwanda.

Brother Emmanuel was educated in Burundi and Uganda and obtained a Master’s degree in Religious Studies at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. For five years he worked at Uganda Christian University as an Administrator and Professor. He speaks four languages.
In January 2006, he returned to Kigali, Rwanda and presently serves as Provincial Secretary to the Anglican Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini. He also planted an Anglican church in Kigali, Kimironko Parish, on August 20, 2006. This church currently serves over 300 Rwandans comprising of both Hutu and Tutsis. He preaches forgiveness to the Tutsi and repentance to the Hutu who were killers in the 1994 genocide.

With a passion to outreach to the poor and orphans in Kigali, Br. Emmanuel is affiliated with the Barakabaho Orphanage Foundation. Working hard to promote education and improve economic opportunities of the most needy orphans in his province, he continually promotes the spirit of reconciliation of Rwandans through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He’s speaking in the Andreas Hall Conference Room on Monday, February 11 at 7:30pm, following a presentation at 6:00 by a Covenant alum now serving in Asia. Pizza will be served!

Nicole Braddock Bromely, founder of One VOICE, is coming to campus to speak in chapel tomorrow. She will speak in chapel, meet with students over lunch, be available for individual appointment, and have a Girl Talk time in the evening.

Her website describes Nicole and her work:

Nicole speaks from the heart of one who has learned to thrive, no matter the circumstances. Having been viewed as the “perfect girl” all her life, excelling as an athlete, scholar, artist, and class leader, she appeared to have it all. But at the age of 14, she realized her entire childhood had been ravaged by the torment of sexual abuse. Nicole tells her story in an effort to educate and raise awareness about this trauma, and to offer hope and strength to others, by sharing her own journey from victim to Victory Over Impossible CircumstancEs. She communicates the overwhelming effect sexual abuse can have on a life, but empowers students and adults to work together to overcome this issue, working toward healthy relationships, decisions, and adulthood.

Tomorrow is Covenant’s Day of Prayer for the semester. Our theme is The God of All Comfort, taken from 2 Corinthians 1:3-5: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Here are some suggested prayer topics for the day as we seek God together. Click to continue »

In looking at Philippians 3:1-11 today in chapel, Chaplain Messner talked about the two streams of piety that are common in Christian circles, including at Covenant. One stream seeks the things that can be gotten through a relationship with Christ, or sees Christ as a means to other ends. The other sees Christ as the ultimate end and is delighted in Him.

He reminded us of the old spiritual, “Give Me Jesus,” reminding us how easy it is for us to turn it into “Jesus, give me.”
A few questions for reflection:

1. How can Jesus become a means to an end in your life? What things do you find yourself most concerned about achieving or receiving?

2. How can we speak the gospel to each other in ways that remind each other of the glory, grace, and goodness of Jesus?

In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus
And when I am alone, give me Jesus
And when I am afraid, give me Jesus
You can have all this world, but give me Jesus