The Beauty of Christmas Music

Over on the Sharper Iron blog, they are running a thread on the "Worst Secular Christmas Songs." I would agree that folks in the secular music industry do miss the true message of Christmas. I suppose that when you don't have much insight into the spiritual side of why Jesus Christ was born 2000 years ago, you are probably going to focus on Santa, snow, and commercialism.

I am reminded of a discussion that I had with my good friend and mentor, Dr. Dwight Gustafson, during my freshman year at Bob Jones University. It was during the fall of 1967 that we were rehearsing Bach's Christmas Oratorio to be performed during Thanksgiving Week at BJU. I casually mentioned to Dr. Gus that I just had no idea that there was such beautiful music written for the Christmas Season. I was of course familiar with Handel's Messiah, and I had even played some Christmas music composed by Vivaldi during my high school years in Plymouth, Michigan. Dr. Gus wisely replied, "There's a lot more that you haven't even heard yet!" I think about that discussion every Christmas, particularly as I have had numerous opportunities to perform some incredibly beautiful Christmas music. Some of it is classical, as in Bach, Handel, Corelli, and Vivaldi, but some of it has been written and/or arranged by contemporary composers such as Rutter, Purifoy, and Lloyd Larson.

On December 4 and 5, Pillsbury Baptist Bible College presented A Candlelight Christmas, a Christmas cantata written by Benjamin Harlan and orchestrated by John Purifoy. We had performed this at Pillsbury about ten years ago, so it was nice to end our "Christmas at Pillsbury" concert cycle with this familiar and beautifully written cantata. It was also an emotional and fond farewell for our longtime choral director, Darrell Bevis. I have known Darrell for about thirty years, and he is one class act when it comes to selecting and performing appropriate Christian music. I am going to really miss performing with Darrell and my other Pillsbury musical colleagues.

Last Sunday evening (December 14), the choir and orchestra at Grace Baptist Church here in Owatonna performed Lloyd Larson's recent Christmas cantata, Holy Night of Miracles. Tom Lawson did a wonderful job of combining the forces of the choir and orchestra to communicate the true message of Christmas. As was true of Pillsbury's rendition of A Candlelight Christmas, Larson's text and music was a powerful example of what beautiful Christmas music is all about.

Which brings me back to Dr. Gus' wise observation: "There's a lot more that you haven't even heard yet!" I sincerely hope that you enjoy this Christmas Season, and I especially pray that you will indulge yourself in the beautiful music of Christmas.

Pillsbury College: The Last Day

The last official day of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College has come and gone. On Friday, December 12, faculty, staff, and students ate breakfast together in the dining hall and then met in Kerux Auditorium for a final chapel service. Dr. Greg Huffman, the president of Pillsbury College these last several months, preached about how God providentially orchestrated the events of the "first" Christmas over 2000 years ago and how God is also orchestrating the events of our lives as well. We have come to appreciate Dr. Huffman's ability to share God's Word in a practical and meaningful way. Among the many things I will miss about Pillsbury, Dr. Huffman is at the top of the list. He has been greatly used by God during these last days of Pillsbury.

After chapel, a number of us said our last good-byes, took photos, and basically realized that this group of faculty, staff, and students will never again be assembled in one place this side of heaven. Next spring, Dr. Huffman plans to visit the Christian college campuses where our students will be attending second semester to check up on how our Pillsbury students are doing. He has also said that he is quite willing to be in charge of the "Pilly corner" in heaven. Undoubtedly, some of us will never cross paths again until that glorious day when we assemble together in heaven with all of the saints. That WILL be a glorious day.

On a personal note, I have every intention of continuing Pillsbury History Guy in the future. As an institution, Pillsbury will become "history," but the great memories of Pillsbury will live forever.

Pillsbury College: The Last Week

It is the last official week at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, and we awoke to about six inches of new snow this morning. Faculty and students are finishing off final exams this week, and on Friday we will have a last breakfast and a farewell chapel. For many of us, it has been a bittersweet last few days. We will be saying good bye to many colleagues, friends, and students for the last time, because some of us will probably not see each other again for a long, long time. Years from now, those of us who were here as "The Last Comets" will look back and be able to say that in spite of the emotions that we are experiencing now, God provided for our needs and showed us His will for our lives.

On the editorial page of this morning's Owatonna People's Press, the editor penned a nice tribute to Pillsbury. I would like to share that editorial with you:

"It must be a bittersweet time for the students and faculty at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College this week. With the end of the semester just days away and the coming of the holidays just a fortnight away, they must surely feel both a sense of completion and the joy that accompanies Christmas. At the same time, those feelings are undoubtedly tempered with a great sense of loss, knowing that when the final test is taken and final grade recorded that these students and their instructors will be saying goodbye to one another and to the college for the last time as Pillsbury sets to close its doors for good at the end of the month.

Dr. Gregory Huffman, the president of the college, compared the situation at Pillsbury to a death in the family. And as with a time of death, there likely will be mourning by those for whom the closing of Pillsbury touches most closely. During a candlelight Christmas concert on Friday night, Dr. Huffman, a former pastor, did his best to counsel and console the Pillsbury community, reminding them that even though the college will close, it will never die as it continues to live in the service and ministry of the students and the faculty.

They are wise words — words that inspire and give hope.

But there is even more reason for hope. Even as the Pillsbury faculty and staff readied for the closing of the school, word was received that representatives from another Christian college have visited the campus to negotiate the sale of the campus. If that sale occurs — and it is far too early to speculate on the sale or the potential buyor, though rumors about both abound — then it will be good not only the Minnesota Baptist Association, which owns the school, but also for Owatonna. The sale would help the association discharge the debt that led to the school’s closure. But it also would bring another strong Christian college to town. If that college, its teachers and its students are anything like Pillsbury, Owatonna would be strengthened by its coming.

In the meantime, we wish the best for those who will leave Pillsbury and Owatonna for the last time this week. Your presence has enriched this community and your absence will be felt."

Even though Pillsbury Baptist Bible College will be ceasing academic operations on December 31, it is my conviction that the College and its faculty members and students have had a positive impact on the Owatonna community.

The Kennedy Assassination: 45 Years Later

On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. It's hard to believe that it has been forty-five years since that fateful Friday afternoon. For four days, the three major television networks broadcast very little programming that did not directly relate to the assassination and its aftermath. Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK's accused assassin, was himself murdered in the Dallas City Jail on Sunday morning by Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner. Although there has been a great deal of controversy over the years as to whether Oswald acted alone, we may never precisely know the chain of events that led to JFK's tragic murder in Dallas. Many Americans rejected the findings of the Warren Commission, which essentially concluded that Oswald was solely responsible for the assassination. I will leave that discussion for another time.

At the time, I was fourteen years old and a ninth grader in Plymouth, Michigan. I will never forget when our school principal, Mr. Carl Taylor, came down to our gym class about 1:00 P.M. to inform us that Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas. It was almost surrealistic, and frankly, it took some time for the impact to sink in. I rode home with my dad, who happened to teach in the junior high where I was a student, and we began watching what turned out to be a four-day marathon of the coverage of the assassination, the swearing in of Lyndon B. Johnson as Kennedy's replacement, and the funeral on the Monday after the assassination.

The course of United States history changed on that day in Dallas. The Vietnam War would become a major political issue in the politics of the 1960s, as many Americans took to the streets to oppose the war. The culture of America, particularly as it related to music and public morality, was also dramatically changed. During the spring of 1968, as the presidential campaign heated up, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy were also assassinated. It seemed as if America could not escape its national nightmare.

Eventually, America moved on, but not without further tragedies and scandals. We can be grateful that a sovereign God is still in control, and he holds the hearts of kings in His hand. We can rely on Him, even when things seem to be falling apart all around us.

Election 2008

Now that a few days have elapsed since November 4, I would like to weigh in with a few brief thoughts concerning this year's presidential election:

(1) American voters made a conscious decision to elect Barack Obama with a margin of several million votes, and I respect their right to make that decision. I do not agree with Obama on a number of issues, but he will be the president of all Americans as of January 20, 2009. Indeed, as Christians, God has given us the privilege and obligation to pray for our new president. Nancy and I intend to do just that.

(2) John McCain, the candidate for whom I voted, ran a campaign against fairly overwhelming odds. President Bush's unpopularity, the War in Iraq, and the tanking of the economy in recent weeks all worked against McCain's election. Also, McCain was not as conservative as I would have liked, but he was the best choice that I had on Election Day. No matter who the Republican candidate might have been, it was an uphill proposition this year.

(3) Although President George W. Bush has had many detractors during his eight years in office, I have been saddened by the fact that so many of those who have opposed him have engaged in vicious and unwarranted ad hominem attacks on his personal character. It is possible to disagree with his policies without having to resort to character assassination. George W. Bush is a decent and honorable man. He will be able to go back to Crawford, Texas, knowing that he did his best. He made mistakes as president, but he was not the evil caricature that some on the Left would have us believe.

(4) I trust that during the next four years conservatives will be very careful in their criticism of President Obama. He will support causes that I disagree with; he will oppose causes that I support. My political obligation is to call attention to those issues, but my moral obligation is to support him as the president of ALL the American people. Remember that there will be another election, and President Obama will be held to account by the American people. As a nation, we can disagree with our president and still support him as our president.

These are my preliminary thoughts on the recent election. As they say in Congress, "I reserve the right to revise and extend my remarks."

No Resources . . . No Returns . . . No Regrets

As many of you are aware, Pillsbury Baptist Bible College will be closing its doors on December 31 of this year. Dr. Greg Huffman, who was inaugurated as our new president in September, has been preaching some inspirational and timely messages in chapel. Earlier this week, Dr. Huffman shared with us the story of William Borden. His father founded the Borden Dairy Company, but William was called to be a missionary to Muslims in China. While enroute to China, William Borden died of spinal meningitis at the age of twenty-five. In the flyleaf of his Bible, he had recorded three brief slogans: "No resources . . . no returns . . . no regrets." He had voluntarily given away his fortune, he had decided that he would not return to the United States, and on the day he died, he professed that he had no regrets concerning the Lord's call to become a missionary in China.

Of course, the Pillsbury administration, faculty, staff, and student body are greatly saddened by the closing of Pillsbury. In a sense, the college has run out of financial "resources" to continue operating. We are also unable to "return" second semester to Pillsbury. But most importantly, we have "no regrets" about having been part of a ministry that has been training Christian leaders for over fifty years. Representatives of several sister schools have visited the campus to assist our students in the process of transferring to other schools for the spring semester. Most of our seniors will be able to graduate in the spring from other schools, but they will be able to have a Pillsbury diploma if they so desire.

On a personal note, Nancy and I have been a part of Pillsbury for twenty-five years. We have appreciated the college, our local church, and the Owatonna community. We don't know what the Lord has planned for us, but we are willing to wait on Him to show us the way. As I often tell my students, "Wherever you go, there you are." The problem is that we don't know where "there" is yet, but we will wait patiently for God's direction. Please pray for our students and colleagues as we seek God's will for our lives.

When Nancy and I were married in 1970, we took as our life verse Isaiah 40:31. It seems appropriate for this occasion: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." May God allow all of us to be "eagles."

New Pastor at Grace Baptist Church (Owatonna, Minnesota)

Grace Baptist Church in Owatonna, Minnesota, has been without a senior pastor for the last eighteen months. On June 29, the congregation extended a call to Pastor Andrew Burggraff, who has been the pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Spring Hill, Florida, for the past four years. Those of us on the Pulpit Committee and the deacon board at Grace unanimously recommended Pastor Burggraff to the congregation. On the decision to extend the call to Pastor Burggraff, the congregation responded with a 98% vote of approval. Andrew, his wife Allyson, and their three children will probably be moving to Owatonna during the month of August. We look forward to Pastor Burggraff's ministry at Grace during the coming years.

Twenty years ago, Andrew's father (David Burggraff) pastored Grace Baptist for several years. Nancy and I count Dave and Lucy Burggraff as dear friends personally, as well as in the ministry. Dr. Dave Burggraff currently serves as a vice president at Clearwater Christian College in Florida. The president of Clearwater is Dr. Dick Stratton, whom we knew as a teenager at Hampton Park Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina, when we first got married. Dick's folks were faithful employees at Bob Jones University for many years.

Please pray for Grace Baptist Church here in Owatonna, as well as the good folks at Bible Baptist Church in Florida. We have gained a good man at their expense, so to speak. Obviously, those folks will need a new pastor in the near future. We are trusting that God will send just the right man to meet the needs of Bible Baptist Church.

Independence Day—2008

Independence Day is a day of celebrating the birth of our country. The fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence 232 years ago set into motion the great American experiment in representative government, freedom, and liberty. With of all of her flaws, the United States of America represents one of history's great success stories. It is a day of parades, barbecues, and fireworks. But it is also a day of great historical importance.

Two of the signers of the Declaration in 1776 were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Adams and Jefferson were both elected to the presidency later on in their careers, but in the process, they became bitter political enemies. They did become reconciled in their twilight years, however. In what has to be one of the great ironies of early American history, both men died on the same day. That day was July 4, 1826—exactly fifty years to the day that Adams and Jefferson had signed the Declaration of Independence. For you music aficionados, July 4, 1826, was the day that Stephen Foster was born. Later on in the nineteenth century, during the American Civil War, the decisive Battle of Gettysburg ended the day before July 4, 1863. For the South, Pickett's Charge proved to be the "high water mark of the Confederacy." For the North, Gettysburg was the beginning of the end.

From the later nineteenth century and on into the twenty-first century, the Fourth of July has become the great mid-summer holiday in the United States. Perhaps we do not appreciate as much as we ought what this holiday represents. For me, it is an occasion to listen to stirring patriotic music, to get together with family and friends, and to watch fireworks displays to cap off the day. Yet, we as a nation have much to be grateful for. We remember those who have defended our country and way of life on battlefields in distant locations. Many soldiers returned to our shores, but some of those brave men and women died in defense of our country.

I do have some personal remembrances of some more recent Fourth of July holidays. Who can forget the Bicentennial Celebration in 1976? July 4 fell on a Sunday that year, and I remember seeing at our church a very moving video presentation that recounted the personal sacrifices made by several of the signers. Some lost position, property, and even their freedom. Of course, there were a number of significant events throughout that weekend all across the country. Twenty-four years ago (1984) our family celebrated our arrival in Owatonna a couple of days before the Fourth of July.

Allow me one more memory. Nineteen years ago (1989), Cynthia and I traveled to Great Britain with the Owatonna High School Orchestra to present several concerts across England. We were slated to return to the United States on . . . July 4. We got up at 6 AM and were taken to Heathrow Airport by about 9 AM. On the elevator, one English gentlemen asked us if we planned to shoot off fireworks on the flight across the Atlantic . . . we said, no way! Our plane arrived in St. Louis during the early afternoon. Unfortunately, we had to wait until later in the evening to fly home to Minneapolis. But there was a bit of a reward as we flew up the Mississippi River that evening. Out of the airplane window, we witnessed a number of fireworks displays in little towns all the way to Minneapolis. To me, that really epitomized what the Fourth of July was all about. People all over the Upper Midwest were celebrating America in many different places at the same time.

We ought to thank God for our country, and for the freedoms—political and religious—that we have in such great abundance. Happy Fourth of July to all of you.

New President at Pillsbury

We have had a quiet transition here at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College this summer. Dr. Greg Huffman became the new president of Pillsbury earlier this month. He has served as senior pastor of several Baptist churches, most recently in Roanoke, Virginia, and Macon, Georgia. Dr. Huffman has also taught modular courses at several leading fundamentalist colleges and universities. His educational background includes degrees from Tennessee Temple and Bob Jones University. He married his wife Ruth in 1968, and they have three sons.

Dr. Robert Crane, who was president of Pillsbury from 1996 until this year, has become President Emeritus. Those of us who minister here at Pillsbury appreciate the twelve years of outstanding leadership that Dr. Crane gave to Pillsbury. And we are very excited about what God is going to do here at Pillsbury in the coming years. Please pray for us as we seek to train up the next generation of Christian leaders.

A Godly Example

Thirty-five years ago, I began my teaching career at Bob Jones University.  As many of you know from reading some of my previous posts, in addition to teaching history courses at BJU, I also had the opportunity to play oboe in the University Orchestra and other ensembles at BJU.  Aside from my teaching responsibilities, playing my oboe has been one of the great joys of my life.  When you play in a group over a period of time, you really get to know the folks who are also a part of the group.  Not only do you learn how to do the "technical" things like playing in tune and playing the right notes, but you come to appreciate the people who sit beside you in rehearsals and performances.  I would like to spotlight one of those individuals from thirty-five years ago.

Karen Kuehmann enrolled as a freshman at BJU in the fall of 1972.  It did not take long to appreciate the fact the she was an excellent flute player.  But more than that, Karen was and is a person of outstanding character.  But what I most appreciate about Karen is that she loves the Lord supremely.  She has been an outstanding role model and good friend over the years that Nancy and I have had the great privilege to know her.

After Karen finished her undergraduate and graduate work at BJU, she taught flute and worked in the music division at Bob Jones University Press.  She is an accomplished composer and arranger of pieces for instrumental soloists and other ensembles.  She also received an Ed.D. degree in the 1980s.

Karen has had her share of difficult times as well.  A few years ago, she had a significant medical issue that resulted in her receiving a liver transplant at a Pittsburgh hospital.  As far as I know, she has made a complete recovery from that medical procedure and enjoys good health.

Having worked at BJU for about thirty years, Karen has recently decided to move back to her home state of Arizona and teach music in an elementary school there.  One of the reasons she returned to Arizona was for the purpose of being closer to her family.  That really doesn't surprise me at all, because Karen is the kind of person who understands the importance of family.  In this day and age, family relationships have been given short shrift by many people who just get too busy or disinterested in maintaining close family ties.

As it relates to Christian ministry, I have come to understand a significant principle:  "What I do, and where I do what I do, is not nearly as important as WHY I do what I do."  Karen Kuehmann is an ongoing example of that mindset.  I commend her highly and wish her well in her new responsibilities as an elementary school music teacher.

Minnesota Weather Alert!

Those of us who live in the Upper Midwest, and in southern Minnesota in particular, are experiencing a glorious day.  The sun is shining, there are white puffy clouds in the blue sky, and the temperature just topped 50 degrees!  This is wonderful; we've been looking forward to a day like today for months.  As you can see from this view of Pillsbury College's Old Main from my office window, the snow is beginning to melt in earnest.  Of course, the tree outside my window only has buds at this time; the leaves will take a few weeks to appear.  Nonetheless, we are thankful that the Lord does give us four seasons every year.  The Psalmist says it best:  "This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  (Psalm 118:24)

Interesting Thoughts on Vice Presidents

Dr. Charles W. Dunn is a friend from my BJU days.  He has been an outstanding political science professor at the University of Illinois, Clemson University, and Grove City College.  Currently, he serves as the Dean of the School of Government at Regent University.  As many of us do, he has a blog—his blog is entitled "The Chuck Dunn Report."  He has already had several perceptive posts on the current political campaign.  Today, he posted a very interesting discussion on American vice presidents.  I urge you to read Dr. Dunn's comments, which are entitled:  Vice Presidents: "You've Come a Long Way, Baby."  Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are slugging it out for the Democratic presidential nomination, while John McCain has things wrapped up for the Republican nomination.  But a huge question remains—who will be the vice presidential candidates for the two major parties?  Stay tuned.

Finally . . . The End of Winter Is In Sight

It has been a difficult winter for many folks here in the Upper Midwest.  Some of our neighbors in Wisconsin have already received over ninety inches of snow this winter.  Just last weekend, Ohio got clobbered with up to two feet of snow in some locations.  Here in southern Minnesota, our snow totals for the winter have been well below average.  What we have experienced is some thirty days of below-zero temperatures during the last three months.  Frankly, Nancy and I would rather have the cold than the snow.  The forecast for this week includes several days with temperatures in the forties.  I say, "bring it on!"

Pillsbury College Missions Conference (2008)

This past week, Pillsbury College hosted its annual missions conference.  We enjoyed hearing from veteran missionaries and missionaries just getting ready to go to the field.  According to Mr. Dan Morrell, who heads up the Pillsbury Missions Department, we had more missionaries and more mission boards represented than ever before.

The first of our keynote speakers was Rev. Steve Fulks.  According to the Baptist Mid-Missions website, he is the Administrator for Church Relations and Enlistment.  He and his wife Judy were missionaries in Peru from 1985 until 1997.  He spoke from Ezekiel 37 concerning the role of Ezekiel in speaking to the valley of dry bones.  God asked Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones, but it was God who breathed life into those dry bones.  The application was that when we do our part to reach people with the Gospel, God will do His part to bring some of those people to Himself.

Our other keynote speaker was Dr. Mark Batory, who is the Executive Director of Gospel Fellowship Association.  He and his wife Paula served as missionaries to Mexico from 1979 to 1983.  He also assisted Dr. John Vaughn in planting a Hispanic Baptist church in Greenville, SC.  Our daughter Cynthia attended that church for several years.

Dr. Batory spoke about the fact that several of the the apostles were those "who turned the word upside down."  Yet these "Galileans" struggled while they were being mentored by our Lord during his earthly ministry.  After our Lord's resurrection, God sent the Holy Spirit to minister to the needs of the apostles.  It's the same way with the Christian life.  Many of us are just like the "Galileans."  We have struggles in our Christian life, but the Holy Spirit ministers to our needs and helps us achieve spiritual victories.

The theme of our Pillsbury missions conference was to encourage all of us to worship God more.  As a result of that, we will then have the proper motivation in our ministry to others.  All in all, our missions conference was spiritually uplifting.

Who Will You Vote For this Year, and Why?

Every four years, American voters have the awesome responsibility of electing a President of the United States.  Already, this election year has proven to be quite unpredictable.  Whether you vote for a Democrat, a Republican, or a third-party candidate, you should think about the factors that help you determine for whom you will be voting this coming November.  In the interest of full disclosure, I would remind you that I have been active in the Republican Party for the last forty years.  I have lived in Michigan, South Carolina, and Minnesota during those years.  But this post is not meant to tell you for whom you should vote; my main concern is to encourage you to consider what drives your decision to vote for a certain candidate.

For many of us, we begin the process as supporters of a particular political party.  We also are interested in the political philosophy of candidates.  Are they liberal, conservative, moderate, or somewhere else on the political spectrum?  Another consideration is a candidate's political viability.  Simply put, is the candidate of our choice electable in the country at large?  Some voters also consider the likeability of candidates.  As I heard one commentator suggest a few years ago, "Would you really welcome that individual into your living room or den on a regular basis?"  That is a good point, I think.  Personally, I believe that a candidate needs to have a sense of humor.  Candidates who take themselves too seriously are going to have a difficult time trying to lead the country for four years.

There are some more difficult factors to consider, I believe.  Is the candidate trustworthy, honest, ethical, and moral?  Can we believe what a candidate says, or do candidates say what they think we want to hear them say?  Based on what the candidate says, is it possible for him or her to actually achieve a degree of success as president?  In other words, do the political promises of a candidate mean anything?

There are other some considerations that might play into your voting decision.  The President of the United States heads up the executive branch, but we also have a legislative branch and a judicial branch.  A good example of how this plays out is that fact that the president nominates federal judges, and those judges have to be approved by members of the United States Senate.  If the president is from one party, and the Senate is controlled by another party, things can get pretty dicey.  In essence, can the candidate reach "across the aisle" from time to time in order to accomplish anything?

As you begin to make up your mind for whom you will vote this fall, it is important to take into account the serious consequences of your vote.  Are you voting for a candidate or philosophy, or are you voting against a candidate or philosophy?  If you are unhappy with the two major party candidates, will you cast a ballot for a third-party candidate who has no chance of winning?  The very nature of the American political structure allows you to vote as you see fit.  I trust that you will seek God's will and vote accordingly.  And when the election is over, we need to come together as a nation and support the president-elect.  And most of all, we need to spend time in prayer for our nation, our leaders, and our people.

Pillsbury Baptist Bible College: Clearwaters Bible Conference

Here at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, it is our custom to begin the second semester with the Richard Clearwaters Bible Conference.  This event honors the memory of the man who essentially founded Pillsbury College in 1957.  Our special speaker this year is one of my personal friends, Dr. John Hutcheson.  John is Field Representative for Frontline International Missions in Taylors, SC.  John and I worked together at Bob Jones University in the 1970s.  John was also in the pastorate for 25 years or so before joining Frontline Missions International a few years ago.  John challenged us to make 2008 a more spiritually profitable year than 2007.  He also shared the some of the stories and testimonies of persecuted Christians from all over the world.  Those of us who enjoy religious freedom here in the United States have no real idea of how difficult it is for our Christian brothers and sisters in many countries around the world.  All in all, John helped us to get off to a great start for second semester.

The World's Largest Swimming Pool

With the overnight temperatures 15 degrees below zero up here in Minnesota in recent days, this story from the London Daily Mail struck my fancy.  It seems that a resort in southern Chile has designed and built the world's largest swimming pool.  According to the article in the Daily Mail, "[The swimming pool] is more than 1,000 yards long, covers 20 acres, has a 115-foot deep end, and holds 66 million gallons of [salt] water."  Think of it—this pool is ten football fields long.  If you had twenty acres of property, you could have your subdivision and build quite a few houses.

Basically, you can make of it what you will, but it seems like nothing is sacred anymore.  I am certain that this Chilean resort invested a huge sum of money to develop this "natural" theme park.  Undoubtedly, people from all over the world will make a visit, just so that they can say, "I swam in the largest swimming pool in the world!"  I can't say that I really blame them for feeling that way, especially since the thermometer up here in Minnesota has had a hard time getting above zero the last few days.

Politics 2008

If you are the kind of person who loves unpredictable politics, 2008 is certainly your year.  This is the first presidential election in decades where there is no incumbent president or incumbent vice president running for election.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I generally support the Republican nominee, and I have been doing so for some years now.  But I would have to say that I am in a bit of a quandary about the candidates on my side of ballot.  Several of my favorite candidates have strengths, but they also have weaknesses.  It may be that we are seeing a reassessment of what issues are going to be important in the eyes of the voters this coming November.

So stay tuned for a very interesting election process to develop.  Everyone gets to be his or her own pundit.  Indeed, the professional pundits have been off the mark already in Iowa and New Hampshire.  I will offer more personal thoughts as the process develops.

One last thought—all of us will probably have an opportunity to vote in a primary or participate in a caucus.  Let me encourage you to do your part in electing the next president of the United States.

Christmas Vacation Over the Years

For some thirty-five years, Nancy and I have enjoyed those wonderful days known as "Christmas Vacation."  For the last couple of decades or so, Nancy and I have stayed home rather than traveling during the Christmas Holidays.  It was not always that way, and it would be interesting to reflect on some of those early Christmases.

Nancy and I were married in 1970, so our first Christmas together was in December 1970.  We were seniors at Bob Jones University, and we decided that it would be too expensive to drive home to Michigan for the holidays.  We worked in Greenville during Christmas, but it was a bit lonely for us.  It was our first Christmas away from home.  Bob and Dottie Harris, BJU faculty members, invited several of us over to their home for a Christmas gathering.  I will always remember their kindness and thoughtfulness.  It was just what we needed to get us through that Christmas.

A year later (1971), we did make it home for Christmas.  On our way back to Greenville from Michigan, we were involved in an accident on Interstate-40 near Newport, Tennessee.  We ended up in the median between two bridge abutments.  No one was hurt, but we were concerned about Nancy, who was three months pregnant with Cynthia.  Fortunately, Nancy and Cynthia did not have any problems as a result of the accident.  Our Pontiac station wagon was not easily repairable, so we had to rent a car to get us back to Greenville.  We learned a good lesson—someone other than the driver needs to stay awake if at all possible.

In December 1973, when Cynthia and Tricia were still quite young, we flew home to Michigan.  That was quite the adventure, especially when we returned to Greenville in a near-empty plane on New Year's Eve.  We did make it back to Michigan the next several years, but the last year that we drove home to Michigan for Christmas was December 1979, when we had five children seven years old and younger.  As we drove back to Greenville from the Detroit area, we ran into a snowstorm at Cincinnati.  We ended up staying overnight in Florence, Kentucky.

Starting the Christmas of 1980,  Nancy and I decided that it was time to stay home for Christmas and establish our own Christmas traditions.  And so it has been from that time until now.  We enjoyed spending Christmas in Greenville through 1982.  Then we were in Huntington (WV) for the Christmas of 1983.  Having moved to Owatonna in 1984, we have been here every Christmas for the nearly the last twenty-five years.  I am personally glad that I don't have to drive long distances in winter weather.

Generally, all seven kids (and spouses and grandkids) make it back to Grandpa and Grandma's house for Christmas.  We have a nice Christmas Dinner and then open presents in the afternoon.  Then it's time for games and conversation.  By Christmas night, the last of the food and dessert has been served, and everyone has full stomachs and more importantly, full hearts.  We celebrate Christ's birth, and we love the benefits of having our family together at this most special time of year.