Summer, Graduation, Voddie Baucham, and Trinity Sunday

A toast to the beginning of Summer in Florida.

I am grateful to those who subscribe to the Perspectivalist. Your support encourages me and keeps me grounded in my pastoral duties. I am always eager to make free-will offerings to you, and so I hope you are as content in receiving as I am in giving. If there are topics of interest, please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comment section.

The last few weeks have been more eventful than a board meeting at the DailyWire. After my return from Moscow, ID, I had a plethora of things to attend to. Among them were several CREC-related Zoom meetings that had been postponed and found home in the last 14 days. Interest in the CREC continues to rise, and we see some amazing fruitfulness. And speaking of the CREC, check this out from two of my friends:

Summer is Here!

The kids are now in complete bliss, enjoying baptisms of various kinds. For those outside Florida, the only sure way of surviving during May-August is to find a bountiful tree around 6 p.m. or submerge in water throughout the rest of the day. Those who work inside stare outside, looking for signs of life, and find very little, except for the gardener dressed like John the Forerunner. He takes the kingdom through violence. That hat, scarf, boots and pants didn’t create itself, it was designed to keep the dragons away (see “yellow fly”).

But don’t pity us. We spend our time at the beach, pool, and waterslides around friends. I think we will be all right.

Graduation in Fairhope, AL

As I was saying before I lost myself in this sunset, I had a few engagements before the summer began. Among them was the blessing of speaking at the graduation ceremony of Ordo Amoris Classical Academy in Fair Hope, AL.

This was their first graduation, and the headmaster made such a lovely request that I couldn’t refuse. These days, every event needs to be carefully considered. When the harvest is plentiful, you really have to choose the right plot of land. Speaking at the first graduation of an institution was one of those important choices.

My proposal was fairly direct:

Any institution that believes in sending courageous men and women into the world needs to advocate for something more distinctly assertive regarding our relationship with ungodliness in this world. My proposal is for a creational model that makes the right kind of enemies. I argue that the pages of the Scriptures make a case for why a truly biblical education should mock the world. Further, this is the proper way to form a bold lineage of students who can properly engage the world once they leave.

I argued for a paideia of courage amid cowardice. The way toward institutional clarity is through institutional boldness without which no classical school will endure. I hope to return to Ordo Amoris in 10 years and see its fruitfulness.

Pentecostals for a Day

The very next day, we celebrated Pentecost Sunday. For those new to this, our congregation puts on a fiery show. There are no snakes and tongues, but lots of reddishness. It’s such a blessed occasion that we put on our best shade of red and bring our bodies as sacrifices unto God. The day also marks our annual congregational picture, which is becoming increasingly the art of “fitting everyone in the same frame.”

In my sermon, I addressed the modern concern about bringing the Spirit into the conversation. The argument goes that the Spirit has been abused too much in the hands of charlatans, and now we must reservedly talk about the Almighty. Well, I beg to differ:

We should not fear praying in the Spirit and by the Spirit to change our hearts and our circumstances, improve our baptisms, conform ourselves to Jesus, and give us stability in life and wisdom.

Voddie is in the House

The week continued with such grandiosity which could only have culminated in meeting this dear man of God. I am not a Baptist and haven’t been since the rapture of the year of our Lord, two-thousand. But if I were a Baptist, I’d want to be the Voddie Baucham variety.

Melinda and I attended a fundraiser for his classical college in East Africa, which afforded me the joy of meeting Dr. Baucham for a few minutes. Voddie is an apologist for classical education and has been a close friend of the CREC for many years. It was wonderful to make his acquaintance.

The entire week ended most perfectly with Trinity Sunday which is fast becoming one of my favorite Feast Days of the Church Calendar. Baptisms, graduates, goodbyes, picnics and waterslides, and evening pizza. The whole thing was a vision glorious! In my sermon, I was able to offer a heavenly case for Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6 with accompanying liturgical exhortations:

If you are bored with the holiness of God, it’s because you haven't confessed your unclean lips to God.

Nothing overly profound, but the synopsis of a text so beloved by the church. I had R.C. Sproul in mind as I worked through the text this past week. R.C.’s book, “The Holiness of God,” is still one of those magnum opus of piety that every Christian should read.

As I write this, I am working overtime to prepare for my trip to Jersey and then London, where I will invest time in several potential CREC plants. My time is quite limited, so pray that every meeting will bear good fruit and that my presence will encourage the saints.

That’s all for now. I hope to offer an overview of my trip on Friday. By then, I should have a conversation on preterism ready to air with an 11-year-old scholar whose last name rhymes with Frito.

Hearty cheers,

Happy Pentecost Season.

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