Government: Changer or Preserver

Today I had a conversation with Greg Cox, Faith and Action's Director of Devolpment. He was asking about my experience here, my status in college, and if I planned to attend law school. I then began to tell him about my musings, inspired by a book I'm reading ("Why the Religious Right Can't Save America" by Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson). I told him that I was weighing the actual value of politics as a "change-agent" in America. He then began to lay out the difference between preaching the gospel and being involved in politics.

Politics is not an agent of change, it is an agent of preservation, like salt. The Gospel of Jesus, on the other hand, is an agent of change because it changes people's hearts! Mr. Cox said that both "tracks" are valid life callings, but they are fundamentally different. Romans 13:3-5 talks specifically about the role of Government:

For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.

Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?

Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

for he is God's servant for your good.

But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.

For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

So we see, said Mr. Cox, that Government has two jobs: to punish evil and to approve good. Government is not designed to change anything! Change must come from the people! Historically, it always has. Mr. Cox used the Civil Rights Movement as an example. Martin Luther King Jr., a minister, lead the movement to cause Government to align with the standards of equality in the constitution. Therefore, when the people define something as good or evil, then the laws follow.

In conclusion, I must wait for God's guidance in my life! Does he want me to be a changer or a preserver? Both are divine callings, and both are necessary, but the question I must answer is how has God equipped me to serve Him?

Touring on the Weekends: A Photo Journal - Alexandria, Virginia

City hall

Marina

View of a street

Take a cruise on the Cherry Blossom paddle boat!

"May 9, 1798
Having been proclaimed a day of fasting and prayer by the president of the United States because of the danger of war with France, George Washington attended in this church the proclamation sermon preached that day by Reverend James Muir" (These are the words on the plaque to the left of the Church doors).

This is a revolutionary war cemetery located on the grounds of the Church where Reverend James Muir made the 1798 prayer and fasting proclamation sermon.

This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolutionary War.

The home of John Carlyle, who served in the U.S. Congress from 1815-1819

The garden and gazebo behind Carlyle's home

Touring on the Weekends: A Photo Journal - George Washington's Home (Mount Vernon)

These are some of the storage buildings. The one on the right stored Washington's single-seat carriage. It was more maneuverable than the four-wheel carriage because it only had two wheels. It was kind of like the sports car of Washington's day. You can see the Potomac River in the background.
This garden area is adjacent to Washington's fruit tree orchard

A Robin enjoys the beautiful day!

The gardens were very well kept!

The subject in this photo is the garden house (It is basically the garden shed).

Mount Vernon estate

This is the garden where Washington grew all of his new experimental plants.

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: A Story About the Shooting

As you may know, Rev. Schenck was influential in restoring hope to the Amish community of Nickel Mines in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania after the terrible school shooting on October 2, 2006. Rev. Schenck and I got to taking about this a few days ago. He had stories to tell and so did I. He was moved by what I had to say, and advised me to write about my experience.

In the spring of each year, the Bryan College Chorale tours for about 9 days. In 2007, just seven months after the shooting, we traveled north to Washington D.C. and the surrounding states. That year we had a free day scheduled in the Amish Country of Lancaster County. When our charter bus arrived, we decided get a tour guide. As we dove down the road she told the bus driver to stop in front of a little, one-room school house. Next thing I know, we were all filing off the bus because we had been invited sing for the children!

This school house was about a mile down the road from where the 2006 shooting occurred. The children were so cute all dressed up in traditional Amish attire. The ages of the children spanned from 4 all the way to 12 or 13. When we entered the house they were very nervous, but curious. The 44 person chorale squeezed onto the little front platform, and Dr. David Luther (our director) stood alongside the children sitting at their desks!

That morning we sang all our a capella pieces. At one point between songs, I saw the classroom bulletin board. It was decorated in yellow and had musical notes around the edges. It read, “Visitors bring songs of Joy.” Only God could plan something like this, I thought! When we finished singing, the teacher in the back began to clap. Amish don’t clap! The children were confused! The teacher persisted and the children slowly joined her. The only way I can describe how it sounded is to liken it to a building wave. The clapping got stronger and stronger until it was a roar! The children’s smiles were infectious!

As it turns out, our tour guide knew many Amish in that community. Our next stop took us to an Amish farm. After a few minutes, the whole choir was crammed into the living room of her friend’s home! There, with the small Amish family as our audience, we sang!

How sweet it was to be instruments of God’s Joy! God used us that day in ways that could have never been planned! I’m so glad that our tour guide let God lead that day!

Touring on the Weekends: A Photo Journal - Manassas Battlefield Park

Two Civil War Battles were fought in Manassas in 1861 & 1862

Groveton Confederate Cemetery

A ridge held by union soldiers near NY Ave. At one point soldiers from Ohio held this hill!

Pollinating bee alongside the Unfinished Railroad Grade


Butterflies like the flowers too!

Stone House

Monument of Stonewall Jackson

Touring on the Weekends: A Photo Journal - Fort Washington

There are some little, tiny people at the gate...can you see them? This is the only big gate to the fort. It has a draw bridge and a dry mote. Fort Washington was completed in 1809.











A view of the visitors center from inside the fort.
















The main gate to the fort is in the background. This view is from the inside.















The mounts where the cannons were perched. The half circles behind the pivot points locked down the different cannon angles.











If you were standing outside, this cannon placement would be in the side of the wall.

Wake for Tim Russert

Yesterday, June 17, I attended the wake for the beloved journalist, Tim Russert. The event was held at St. Albans School, located on the property of the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Rev. Schenck and I arrived early that afternoon and found a long line. Before the public was permitted to pay their respects, President Bush and his wife visited with the Russert family.

As the line began to move we were greeted with flowers and photographers. When we were about to enter the building, I saw Brit Hume from Fox News ushered in. At the door we were given card. On the front of this card was a picture of Tim Russert and the words:

In Loving Memory
TIM RUSSERT
May 7 1950 – June 13 2008
“No exercise is better for the human heart
than reaching down to lift up another person.”

The back of the card had a prayer:

PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
~
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is doubt, let me have faith;
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive
In pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Mr. Russert lay in the center of the Morris and Gwendolyn Carfitz Foundation Refector Room. His family was there to greet people and two men stood at attention on both ends of the closed casket. The Secret Service still occupied the room when we entered – Rev. Schenck said they usually stay two hours after the president departs. After Rev. Schenck greeted Mr. Russert’s son, we both remained by the casket for a few seconds of silent prayer.

As we drove away from the National Cathedral property, I noted how the line of people, stretching out onto the sidewalk, had lengthened.

The Christian Legal Society Hosted Senior Judge Eric Bruggink

On June 12, the Christian Legal Society hosted Senoir Judge Eric Bruggink. Since 1986, Judge Bruggink has served on the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Judge Bruggink's presentation was designed for Lawyers. He spoke about how lawyers, because of the nature of their job, must wear two hats: the hat of faith and the hat of the law. This balancing act puts them in “faith predicaments” all the time.

His principle text came from Romans 1:17, “The Just shall live by faith.” He said that there are two consequences when lawyers let their faith get out of balance. The first is this: they begin to observe the law more than the dictates of God. Sometimes the reason of the world (i.e. legal process) places limitations on the applicability of their morality. But they must live with a certain amount of reckless abandon because there are things in life worth the accompanying scorn.

The second consequence of living by sight and not by faith was this: a lawyer begins to think that they have rights, which is a by-product of their constant exposure to legal rights. Judge Bruggink quoted Oswald Chambers concerning rights, “Whenever rights are made the guidance in life they will blunt spiritual insight.” He said that in God’s system we don’t have democratic rights. To demonstrate this point he referenced the parable of Jesus in Matthew 20:1-16. At the end of the day, the master of the vineyard paid all the laborers equally, whether they had worked one hour or 12 hours. This incited malcontent from the day-long laborers, but the master responded, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” And so we learn, as possessions of God, that He can do what he wants with us.

I enjoyed Judge Bruggink very much because, as a senior in college, I am thinking about law school. He told me, after his presentation, to come see him if I ever needed some guidance about law school. What a generous man!

Meeting with Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

On Monday, June 2 I had the distinct honor of meeting Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. I actually was able to stroll down the hall with him (for about 15 seconds :) as we talked about sports! Here is most of the transcript after Rev. Schenk introduced me:

Justice Scalia: Nice to meet you Mr. Smith. Where are you from?

Me: I'm from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Justice Scalia: Really, the only state I really practiced law in was Ohio, in Cleveland.

Me: Oh Cleveland. Those Indians are up there. We in Cincinnati don't like those Indians............or the Browns!...........Uh...............

Very quickly after that he was whisked away by another introduction. I felt so stupid. I was so nervous at the end of the conversation that I actually said "..........uh..........." out loud! I guess he's used to people being nervous around him!

Rev. Schenck said that Justice Scalia paid me a very high compliment when he called me Mr. Smith. When he was in college his teachers would refer to him as Mr. Scalia. Because he called me Mr. Smith he thought of me as his student! Furthermore, Rev. Schenck said that Justice Scalia paid me two other compliments - he asked me a question (Where are you from?) and had a conversation with me as we walked down the hall! He could have easily shook my hand and walked away saying nothing more than nice to meet you!

National Press Club: Family Research Council

On May 29 I had another great experience. The Family Research Council had a press conference at the National Press Club concerning the recent California Supreme Court decision on homosexual marriage. There was a four person panel that included Ken Blackwell (former Secretary of State for Ohio), Matt Staver (lawyer working on California case; president of Liberty Council and Liberty University School of Law), Glen Lavy (lawyer working on California case; works for the Alliance Defense Fund), and finally Tony Perkins (President of the Family Research Council).

The panel was kind enough to verse the attendees with a little background about the California decision. In 2000, Californians passed super statue 22 that banned homosexual marriage in their state. A super statue cannot be overturned by the legislature, however it can be deemed unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court. And that is exactly what happened just a few weeks ago.

The court has now set a date for their decision to take effect. On June 17, 2008 homosexuals will be permitted to legally marry one another in the state of California. This will not last long, however, because the people of California have already collected enough signatures to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November. Most likely, if they vote as they did in 2000, the people of California will overturn the decision of the Supreme Court and permanently outlaw homosexual marriage in their state. With this in place, no California State governing body will be able to overturn this law, unless the people decide to change the amendment later down the road.

However, the time between June 17, 2008 and November 2008 will allow four months for homosexuals to come from all over the country and obtain a marriage license from the state of California. Because California has no residency laws, homosexuals can fly in on the weekend, get married, fly out Monday and on Tuesday demand that their marriage be legally recognized in their home state!

Get ready for a fight all over the country - coming to a city near you on June 18.

Ambassador Raymond Joseph

Well, Let's start with a story a few weeks old. My first day at the office (Tuesday, May 27) Rev. Schenck was scheduled to attend a meeting with The Institute on Religion and Public Policy. The key note speaker was Ambassador Raymond Joseph from Haiti.

The ambassador, come to find out, is a committed Christian. He started the meeting with his testimony - His father was a Baptist minister in Haiti and directed the operations of a school and a hospital. When he was young, God called him to translate the New Testament into the common language of Haiti - Creole. His countrymen were getting their theology mixed up because the preachers were teaching in French. He was eventually successful with the translation and God called him to his next assignment - speak out for the downtrodden of Haiti! Today, he continues to work for his people as their ambassador and is excited that Democracy is taking root in his country.

What a mountain top experience on my first day at work! I did get to meet the ambassador (there were only about 12 people in the meeting). Also, Rev. Schenck was able to pose a question to him concerning the most important message he would give to missionaries in Haiti. He said that Missionaries should aim to work themselves out of a Job! In other words, train nationals to reach their own people!

Greeting

Howdy all,

new blog posts are on the way!