SHADOW!

Shadow. Darkness. Transient. Flat. “Unreal.” But where there is shadow, there is light, and substance, and tridimensionality, and “reality.”

My days are like
a lengthened shadow,
and I wither away like grass.
But You, O LORD, abide forever,
and Your name to all generations.
Psalm 102:11–12

No wonder the prayers and poems of the Bible frequently refer to human life as a shadow. Darkness. Transient. Flat. “Unreal.” But, for believers in Christ, a representation of things to come. A foreshadowing. Of light, eternity, multidimensionality, and … REALITY!

… our God, we thank You,
and praise Your glorious name.
For we are sojourners before You,
and tenants, as all our fathers were;
our days on the earth
are like a shadow,
and there is no hope.
1 Chronicles 29:13, 15

Hope there would not be, were it not for the mercy and grace of God that brought us out of the shadow.

There were those
who dwelt in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in misery and chains.
Then they cried out
to the LORD in their trouble;
He saved them
out of their distresses.
He brought them
out of darkness
and the shadow of death
and broke their bands apart.
Psalm 107:10, 13–14

The work of Christ on the cross, paying the price for our sin, rescued us. The coming of the Light. Christ came. Christ shone. Christ conquered.

The people who were sitting
in darkness saw a great light,
and those who were sitting
in the land and shadow of death,
upon them a light dawned.
Matthew 4:16

Believers in Christ are now no more in darkness. No more do we fall under the shadow.

But you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for God’s own possession,
so that you may proclaim
the excellencies of Him
who has called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

And now we dwell under His shadow.

How precious
is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men
take refuge in
the shadow of Your wings.
For You have been my help,
and in the shadow of Your wings
I sing for joy.
Psalm 36:7; 63:7

The shadows of this world no longer need hold any fear for the child of God.

Even though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

We have a refuge.

He who dwells in
the shelter of the Most High
will abide in
the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD,
“My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
Psalm 91:1

Now we have a responsibility to live as in the Light.

For you were formerly darkness,
but now you are
Light in the Lord;
walk as children of Light.
Ephesians 5:8

No more do we need to live under the sway of the shadow.

The night is almost gone,
and the day is near.
Therefore let us lay aside
the deeds of darkness
and put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:12

Children of light, living in the Light. Awake. Alert. Attentive.

But you, brothers and sisters,
are not in darkness,
that the day would
overtake you like a thief;
for you are all children of light
and children of day.
We are not of night nor of darkness;
so then let us not sleep as others do,
but let us be alert and sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:4–6

Sharp. Shining. Sober.

REWARDS!

We’re well into the season of graduation these days in the US.

And I had the privilege of speaking yesterday at the commencement of a local home-schoolers’ association here in North Texas. It was a delight for me to participate in the intimate gathering of parents, grand-parents, siblings, teachers, friends, well-wishers, and acquaintances to celebrate the achievements of this group of ten bright students (among whom was Meredith, one of the daughters of the Morgans, my good friends).

There are distinct advantages to being part of a small graduating class. The entire ceremony was highly personalized. When the time came for the granting of diplomas, the graduate and his/her parents were asked to come up to the front. On cue was a 60-second slideshow of significant events in the life of the student, followed by an audio recording made by the parents. Each parent then spoke briefly of their love and appreciation for their son/daughter—a touching time of affirmation, an opportunity to vocalize in public what their child means to them, a chance to encourage their offspring as they enter into a new phase of life.

What a joyous and moving experience! Very few dry eyes in that hall yesterday.

You know, there is soon coming a day when we, too, will stand before our Lord. I wondered what He would say about me then, when that slideshow of my life is replayed. Will it be this?

“Well done,
good and faithful slave ….”
Matthew 25:21

That is the day for the allotment of rewards. What will be mine?

Everyone who competes
in the games exercises
self-control in all things.
They then do it to receive
a perishable wreath,
but we an imperishable.
1 Corinthians 9:25

Will I have Paul’s confidence?

In the future
there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day.
2 Timothy 4:8

Are these literal crowns? Perhaps. But whatever these turn out to be, notice the “fate” of these crowns, as depicted in the action of the twenty-four elders (probably representing the church) in the presence of Christ.

The twenty-four elders
will fall down before Him
who sits on the throne …
and will cast their crowns
before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are You,
our Lord and our God, to receive
glory and honor and power;
for You created all things,
and because of Your will
they existed, and were created.”
Revelation 4:10–11

The rewards we obtain are, after all, the result of God’s grace, His power working within us to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. To Him, therefore, belongs the glory.

For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus
for good works,
which God prepared beforehand
so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

Were it not for His grace, there would be nothing. All we have, all we do, all we achieve—all of it is graciously, generously, given to us. Nonetheless, there is a responsibility on our part to labor for God’s glory, trusting in His grace to see us through.

But by the grace of God
I am what I am …;
but I labored even more
than all of them, yet not I,
but the grace of God with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10

Therefore …

Whatever you do,
do your work heartily,
as for the Lord
rather than for men,
knowing that from the Lord
you will receive
the reward of the inheritance.
It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
Colossians 3:23–24

“Well done, ….”

LEARNING!

The biggest day of the academic year at Dallas Theological Seminary arrived yesterday. Commencement. The graduation of over 300 of our best: Certificates of Graduate Studies, Masters of Arts, Masters of Theology, Doctors of Ministry, and Doctors of Philosophy.

Families. Friends. Fellows. Speeches. Songs. Scripture. Applause. Acclaim. Awards. Elation. Euphoria. Exultation. Cheering. Clapping. Clicking.

Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 ad infinitum.

Funny hats. Weird robes. And the colors. Oh, the colors! The pinks, greens, scarlets, golds, purples, blues, grays, whites, …. Academic regalia and panoply in glorious procession, signifying a variety of colleges and universities, degrees and honors. A veritable rainbow of academic achievements.

Yours truly got to wear ye olde toga rubra (red robe), the doctoral gown of the University of Aberdeen, and don the John Knox hat that gilds the scalp of Scottish doctors. I am not alone in this radiant declaration of my affiliation. Darrell (PhD, 1983), and Nathan (PhD, 1996) (and David, PhD, 1987—absent today) are my compatriots and fellow–Aberdonians at Dallas Seminary. All clad appropriately (except for the kilt—but, ah, laddie, one of these days, we’ll surprise these Americans).

As (I speculate) they used to say in ancient Rome and (possibly) medieval Aberdeen …

Qua solvam prece nescio:
Beatum ornat te toga rubra!

Who leadeth forward the ignorant:
Blessed is thy splendid red robe!
(Or something close.)

So there we are at DTS, ostensibly leading forward the ignorant.

Sometimes I wonder.

But I think I’ve finally figured it out—I’ve met the ignorant, and the ignorant is … me! Teaching has revealed to me, the one who professes, the depth of my own ignorance. A healthy, humbling enterprise—teaching. And, engaging in that activity, I am learning a lot more than my students are.

Surprise, surprise, I am not there yet. Oh, well, neither was Paul. I’m in good company.

Brethren, I do not regard myself
as having laid hold of it yet;
but one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind
and reaching forward
to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13–14

And he, Paul, and all of us, press on, striving for excellence, by the gracious power of the Spirit, for the glory of God.

Run in such a way
that you may win.
Everyone who competes
in the games exercises
self-control in all things.
They then do it to receive
a perishable wreath,
but we an imperishable.
Therefore I run in such a way,
as not without aim;
I box in such a way,
as not beating the air;
but I discipline my body
and make it my slave, so that,
after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24–27

So that, one day, at the “Commencement Exercises” for believers in Christ, we might affirm, as Paul does:

I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the course,
I have kept the faith;
in the future there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day;
and not only to me,
but also to all who have loved
His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7–8

Better than any graduation anywhere, anytime.

What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be!
Jim Hill, 1955

TEAMWORK!

Done! The final class session was yesterday. Last night, the students in one of my preaching classes (and their spouses) gathered here at home for pizza and dessert and some edifying entertainment—three sermons from the last set of student preachers.

And thus endeth my first full-time academic year at Dallas Theological Seminary. [Big sigh of relief!] It has been busy, I must say, tackling three classes each semester, committee meetings, office hours, weekly chapels (at least three a week that I’m required to attend), departmental meetings, faculty meetings (while juggling a part-time dermatology practice on the side).

But it has also been a delight to be part of the team that is the Pastoral Ministries Department (some of us are depicted above, at the Seminary’s annual Faculty Workshop). The delight of fellowship. The joy of allied goals. The pleasure of ministering to one another, spurring one another, being responsible for one another, being accountable to one another.

The discipline of teamwork!

And discipline it is. It takes effort. It doesn’t come easily. It isn’t always natural to us inherently self-focused beings. It often calls for a stepping out of one’s comfort zone to help another, to fill in for another, to watch out for another ….

But that is what God has ordained—believers are to function in concert, as the family of His children, the organism of the church, the fellowship of believers, the body of Christ, the temple of God, the dwelling of the Spirit.

Do you not know
that you are a temple of God
and that the Spirit of God
dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16

A collective, united, joint, corporate enterprise. The entity through which God seeks to exhibit His glory most directly in this age.

… to Him be the glory
in the church and in Christ Jesus
to all generations
forever and ever.
Ephesians 3:21

And this calls for the discipline of teamwork.

… and let us consider
how to stimulate one another
to love and good deeds,
not forsaking our own
assembling together,
as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another;
and all the more
as you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24–25

The discipline of teamwork, recognizing that in all that we undertake, individuals subserve the grander goal of the body, the glory of God, the furtherance of His kingdom.

For when one says, “I am of Paul,”
and another, “I am of Apollos,”
are you not merely human?
What then is Apollos?
And what is Paul?
Servants through whom you believed,
even as the Lord
gave opportunity to each one.
1 Corinthians 3:4–5

It is not about Tim or Timothy or Vic or Sandy or Reg or Aubrey or Oscar or Jonathan or Abe. The discipline of teamwork calls each of us to focus on the greater good of the Pastoral Ministries department. And neither is it all about this department alone, but we join hands with the rest of the academic departments to work in harmony for God’s glory within Dallas Seminary. A joint effort that God blesses with fruit. The discipline of teamwork.

… [be] of the same mind,
maintaining the same love,
united in spirit,
intent on one purpose.
Do nothing from selfishness
or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind
regard one another as
more important than yourselves;
do not merely look out
for your own personal interests,
but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:2–4

The essence of teamwork!

I’m looking forward to the next academic year, to continue working on this great team.