Excursus: Outlining Principles

I have begun a series of posts concerning the sermon preparation. In the previous posts, I gave an example of diagramming the text. I moved forward with the 1 Timothy 1:3-11 text and I am in the process of working with the diagram to develop a working outline.

But how do you outline? Here are some outlining principles:

1). The passage you are outlining should have one main thought which is conveyed through the text. Some call this "the big idea," some call it "the thesis," but it is one idea that is something of an umbrella statement which everything that is said in the passage is related to it or goes to prove the point.

2). As stated earlier, if one is outlining, that outline should be drawn from the text and not imposed on the text. This is why it is important to spend time on diagramming the passage. The diagram will show the exegete the flow of thought of the passage. Again, didactic passages tend to be a little easier to outline than say a narrative passage or a poetic passage. However, every text does have a flow of thought that can be identified and then conveyed.

3). If you have one main point, you should have at least another main point. Same with sub-points, and sub-sub-points. Or, in other words, if you have a main point I. you should at least have a main point II. If you have a sub-point A. you should at least have a sub-point B. AND, if you have a sub-sub-point 1. you should at least have a sub-sub-point 2.

Here is why: In my 1 Timothy 1:3-11 example, you will see I have a section that looks like this:

C. Goal of our instruction
       1. Love
              a. From a pure heart
              b. From a good conscience
              c. From a sincere faith

It is unnecessary to point out we have a goal to our instruction. Then move from that thought to discuss that this goal is love. Then move to where this love comes from. Instead, it should look like this:

C. Our goal is love
       1. From a pure heart
       2. From a good conscience
       3. From a sincere faith

This will provide the same information and can be delivered quicker in a sermon.

4). The main points should be a summary of all that is "under" it, the sub-point should summarize all that is "under" it, and so on. Again, using the 1 Timothy 1:3-11 example and using the information above, we can see this. Here is what a section from the working outline looks like:

I. Proper Teaching (3-5)
      A. Against strange doctrine
      B. Not to pay attention to...
           1. Myths
           2. Endless genealogies
                a. they give rise to mere speculation
                b. Instead of furthering our responsibility
      C. Our goal is love
           1. From a pure heart
           2. From a good conscience
           3. From a sincere faith

Note that "Proper Teaching" sums up "Against strange doctrine, not paying attention, and, goal of love." Each of these points can be massaged to better phrases and clearer teaching points, but that comes later in the process. However, if something comes to mind now, you can incorporate it. "Not paying attention to..." is something of a summary of "myths and geneaologies". Again, this probably needs work to something more like "Things that waste time" or something like that. Also, the sub-sub-points under "geneologies" is really a summary of the whole point and thus maybe need to be worked into B. This would perhaps look like:

I. A godly minister faithfully teaches biblically sound teaching (3-5)
      A. Preaches against strange doctrines
      B. Not swayed from God's task by...
          1. Myths
          2. Geneaologies
      C. Goal is love
          1. From a pure heart
          2. From a good conscience
          3. From a sincere faith

This includes both some massaging of the points to teachable principles and rephrasing to capture the "summarizing" principle. Of MOST IMPORTANT NOTE is that we have not changed the original meaning from Scripture. The author's intent is kept and we are stepping closer to moving the teaching material into the 21st century. There is still some work to be done (I don't like the repeat of "teaching" in the main point) but we are making some good progress.

5). It is at this point that some work can be done to make the outline a little more memorable. Some alliterate everything (problems, people, patience). Some rhyme everything (declaration, recreation, obliteration). Some use acronyms (FIST = powerful, Faithful, Increasing, Strengthened, Thankful - mine from a sermon on Col. 1:10-14). Some use repetition (We must love God, we must love the lost, we must love believers). Some use a mix of all of these. None of these are needed but they can help your sermon stick in the mind of your listeners. For example, when the listeners look at their fist, they can be reminded of what "a walk worthy of the Lord" is like: Fruitful, Increasing (spiritually), Strengthening, and Thankful. It also helps the speaker remember their outline a little easier.

There are some who take this step to the extreme (for example, John Philips Exploring series of commentaries - however, his outlines can provide great sermon seed material). Nevertheless, these things can be a mnemonic device for both audience and speaker.

This is by no means an exhaustive study on outlining. There have been books written about the subject. However, it may help you get started. Remember, the more you do it, the better you will get at it. We are all still learning and all still trying to get better at sharing God's word faithfully, coherently, and transformationally.

Diagram -> Outlining -> Excursus -> Word Studies -> Commentaries -> Excursus -> Refining -> Illustrations -> Practice -> Preaching

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Second, Outline

I have begun a series of posts concerning the sermon preparation. In the previous post, I gave an example of diagramming the text. I will be moving forward with the 1 Timothy 1:3-11 text. The next step in my process is to work with the diagram to develop a working outline. (click here to see the outline example - you also may want to pull up the diagram do you can see the diagram and outline side by side)

There are several things to note about this outline:

First, the ouline was easily created by using the diagram. Again, this is a bit easier with didatic passages like the Pauline Epistles than it is with narrative passages but the principles are essentially the same.

Second, this will not be a teaching outline as it will have more statements than teaching principles as the major points. I know this outline will change and possibly radically change. That is OK as long as the meaning is not distorted or changed. This is just a working outline.

Third, the example does not follow the best outlining rules. For example, a basic outlining rule says, "If you have a 1. then you need at least a 2." This is a good rule because it helps develope a better sermon and helps create a good flow of thought. However, in the example below, I have broken that rule. That tells me that I need to look at that a little close and maybe need to rework that part of the outline.

Fouth, I will compare this to other outlines to see if my general flow of thought is on track. Most commentaries will provide some sort of outline so this is an easy job. Please note: the outlines in most commentaries are not teaching outlines and if used as such provide a dry, usually boring sermon.

Finally, note that all I have done is worked with the text in a prayerful attitude. I have not yet consulted a lexicon, a commentary, or book of sermon outlines. These are valuable tools, and I will use them very soon in this process, but what I have created so far is based in the text itself, and developed with the help of the Holy Spirit alone.

My next post will be something of a rabbit trail to go a little deeper into outlining principles.

Diagram -> Outlining -> Excursus -> Word Studies -> Commentaries -> Excursus -> Refining -> Illustrations -> Practice -> Preaching

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 2.9.2008

I can't believe it is already the year of the rat and I am still writing monkey on all my checks.

Paul Provenza, one of the panelists on the NPR gameshow, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

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First, Diagram

My friend Mark's blog (Converging Heritage) has had several posts about preparing for sermons. I got to thinking about my preparation for sermons. So I will post a series of my development of a sermon or two.

To begin with, I think the goal of any sermon is to faithfully convey what the author intended. This goes for any bible study, sermon, or any other time we engage the text. As Fee and Stuart say,

...the aim of good interpretation is not uniqueness; one is not trying to discover what no one else has ever seen before.

Interpretation that aims at , or thrives on, uniqueness can usually be attributed to pride (an attempt to 'outclever' the rest of the world), a false understanding of spirituality (wherein the Bible is full of deeply buried truths waiting to be mined by the spiritually sensitive person with special insight), or vested interests (the need to support a theological bias, especially in dealing with texts that seem to go against that bias). Unique interpretations are usually wrong. This is not to say that the correct understanding of a text may not often seem unique to someone who hears it for the first time. But it is to say that uniqueness is not the aim of our task.

The aim of good interpretation is simple: to get at the 'plain meaning of the text.' How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, p. 17-18.

To get to the "plain meaning of the text" means that the text, the Scripture itself, must be the center of the study. This does not mean that we cannot use other sources like commentaries, dictionaries, and the like. But it does mean that the text drives and shapes the sermon. To make sure of this, I attempt the following to begin my study for a sermon:

1. I read the text in its context several times. This may mean reading an entire book several times. It may mean reading some background information. But one should understand the basic questions of the text: when was it written, why was it written, to whom was it written, etc.

2. I usually try to diagram the text is some manner to gain an understanding of the author's flow of thought. This is usually basic diagramming and not very sophisticated but enough to allow me to see the basic themes of the paragraph(s).

To show what this would look like, I have some examples below. These are not very detailed diagrams (there are some who diagram every word). I do try to find the main phrase of the sentence, the supporting phrases, and any contrasting themes found in the text.

Here is a diagram of a New Testament passage:

1 Timothy 1:3-11

(You may not be able to see if you are using a Vista machine - don't ask me why but Comcast is having trouble with that).

Note several things about the diagram:

First, my diagrams are usually not done in electronic format. However, I usually do some sort of diagram even if it is scratched out with paper and pen.

Second, it flows in the order of the text. I believe it is important to keep the text in the order in which it was written. Others seem to think they can take liberty in rearranging the text but I think it should stay in the order the author wrote it.

Third, I include the verses on the left side just to keep track of where I am in the text.

Forth, the farther to the left of the paper, the more major the topic. Thus, you can see the Roman numerals which will indicate the probable "points" of my sermon, even though I will not use the exact words under each Roman numeral (this will become clearer as I continue to develop the sermon).

Fifth, this diagram is a diagram of the English language. It would always be better, if possible, to go to the original languange and diagram that. However, if that is not possible at the present time, then diagramming from a reliable translation will usually provide you with a good diagram. Any issues within the text which would impact diagramming will be identified later in the process.

While Paul's epistles are a little easier to diagram than other parts of Scripture, diagramming can be done with any part of Scripture. I have included an Old Testament example to show what that would look like:

Haggai 1:1-11

While the Old Testament is not as clear, when looking at the New Testament diagram above, one can see an outline taking shape. This is a valuable exercise and all I have done is studied the text. I used some commentaries and lexicons, but only to confirm the accuracy of the relation of phrases. For example, in the 1 Timothy passage, it says, "some me, straying from these things, have turned aside..." The question is, "What does 'these' refer to?" It seems obvious that it is referring to "a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith" but I wanted to consult some other opinions to be sure.

So, to start, I would suggest a good diagram of the passage. This provides some great beginning information about the passage which is derived directly from the the passage. This is a great start.

Tomorrow, I will post the next step I take when developing a sermon.

Diagram -> Outlining -> Excursus -> Word Studies -> Commentaries -> Excursus -> Refining -> Illustrations -> Practice -> Preaching

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Glad To Be Home

I have not posted in a few days because I have been in Orlando, Florida Sunday through Tuesday for a Christian School conference. The conference was put on by the Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (SBACS) and it was called Christian School 101: How to Start a Christian School. It was a good conference and many thing we have been doing were confirmed. Maybe I should back track a bit.

My pastor has been thinking about starting a Christian school for a while now (my church is Heritage Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, CO. We have been meeting and discussing things for several, several months. We have developed a mission statement, a statement of faith, a statement of philosophy, and other aspects of beginning a Christian school.

The instructors at the conference essentially taught us things that verified we have been on the right track. Based on the first day of their instruction we decided to make some plans for the next few months. The second day of instruction reaffirmed that we were on track with out new direction. We met some great people and visited a couple of schools and it was overall a pretty good trip.

The worst part of the trip was the flying. I do not mind the flying per se. However, I hate waiting in such long lines, I do not like taking off my shoes and sending all my stuff through security, and then beeing crammed in a tube too close for comfort for everybody. I really have a hard time sitting in the middle seat, shoulder to shoulder with people I do not know, in seat WAY to small for any adult.

However, the conference and company was good.

I wasn't able to post while I was going. I plan to begin another series of post here in a day or two.

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The Discovery Bible Announcement

In a previous post, I discussed a valuable resource that I use in my studies. It was called The Discovery Bible.

I received an email the other day from those who are responsible for the development of The Discovery Bible. The email included an announcement. It says:

Attention all pastors and teachers who desire more depth and variety in their sermons and Bible studies:

We are glad to announce the soon release of the digital Discovery Bible New Testament, now with a greatly expanded Greek dictionary (over 2,000 pages) and prophecy-guide.

This new edition discusses every term in the Greek NT that is difficult to translate with just one English word. Hundreds of reference works have been consulted, culled or quoted – sharing the fuller meaning of the original text in an interactive, “click-and-discover” way. This requires no knowledge of Greek or memorization so anyone can plumb the depths of the sacred text. Messages can come alive with fresh meaning from thousands of beyond-translation insights from the Greek NT in an easy-to-use, practical format.

I emailed them and let them know how excited I was to hear about the release of The Discovery Bible.

Today I received a phone call from Dr. Gary Hill. We discussed the upcoming release of the electronic version and the print of The Discovery Bible. Dr. Hill told me the new version will also include the Old Testament.

Just as a reminder, The Discovery Bible is a resource allows anyone to grasp the connotation of the original languages without having studied the original languages. It has a feature called H.E.L.P.S. in it. H.E.L.P.S. stands for Hill Emphatic Language Pointer System. See the previous post to see some graphics of how this system works. Dr. Hill and I discussed how crucial it is that pastors and Bible students study the original languages in some manner. This resource allows anyone to study the impact of the original language without having memorized the language.

In addition to The Discovery Bible, Dr. Hill is also is working on developing on-line learning curriculum and live conferencing. It is really interesting and would be a great tools for schools and other institutions.

What an honor it was to talk one-on-one with Dr. Gary Hill. I am really looking forward to the release of the updated version. To check out the things Dr. Hill is working on, Aletheia Media's website at www.aletheiamedia.com.

If you have an opportunity to purchase The Discovery Bible, I would encourage you to do it. It will be money well spent.

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Coming Attractions...So To Speak

I have not be regularly posting on my blog but I have been regularly writing for it. I am working on a series of posts regarding sermon preparation. I am working through a passage of Scripture and developing it into a sermon I hope to preach soon. I would like to post every stage of development so that if anyone is interested, they can see how at least one person prepares a sermon.

I am not sure how valuable it will be but that is what I am spending my time on. I hope to post the first one soon. It all depends on how long it takes me to finish it.

Thanks for your patience.

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 1.24.08

Comedian Brian Regan on Pop Tarts

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Top Ten Reasons Books are Better than Bible Software

Sell your shirt and buy books.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon to ministry students in his school.

I think Spurgeon had it right. However, I really do not want to see a bunch of seminary students running around without their shirts (that is going to give me nightmars just penning that last sentence). However, I think it still applies today. That is, I think books are to the minister what tools are to the mechanic. I have mentioned this before in a previous post, but I feel I should repeat it. In an age where free resources on the Internet are readily available and where Bible programs are plenty, some may wonder why books should be bothered with. Here are my top ten reasons why books are better than Bible software.

10. You do not need to download an upgrade to a classic, well-written book - ever.

9. Paper cuts build character and you cannot get a paper cut from the Internet.

8. Sneaking a laptop into one's daughter's band concert is harder to pull off and generally frowned upon.

7. CD's will not be usuable in 20 years (or more likely, 3 years - Seriously, how many 100 year old CD's do you really expect to see? I have maybe a dozen books over 100 years old.)

6. Leaving a book on the dash of your car in the summer does not ruin it.

5. Inscribing the inside of a CD makes in unusable.

4. Highlighting on the Internet ruins your screen.

3. Lending a book to your friend does not break several federal laws.

2. Reading a book in the bathtub is not risking electrocution.

1. Books smell better than CD's.

I know these are silly but there is a some truth behind each one (except maybe the paper cut one). For a more serious top ten list, look at this article entitled 10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library. This article does a good job with showing why schools still need libraries and people still need to pick up a book.

One last thing about books: As I think about my daughter getting older and probably marrying someone (here is where I break down and cry uncontrollably), I think maybe at some time I will need to give some of my library to her and her husband, if they happen to be involved in ministry. If that is the case, then I am not building just a library right now, I am building an inheritance or a legacy. If my resources now help a young pastor 40 years from now not only intellectually but financially (because books cost money) then it is worth having them.

Do not get me wrong. I have my share of Bible Software and I use StudyLight.org nearly daily. And I think they are great. I just enjoy being able take a book with me wherever I go and know that if it is a book whose content is worthwhile, my grandkids will be reading the same books.

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2t22.org is Back Up and Running

In addition to my blog, I have a website that I created to help students I teach and other Bible students to find good resources easy. The site is The 2 Timothy 2:2 Objective and is found at www.2t22.org. In fact, this blog is something of a natural outgrowth of that ministry.

Anyway...2t22.org has been having problems since October and I could not for the life of me figure out why. I called Comcast over and over again. They were having problems trying to get their pages reconciled with Microsoft Vista (there's a shock). But they had apparently fixed it and I was still having trouble. Long story short (too late)...I was able to fix the problem, which seemed to originated with the place I registered the domain name - some setting I changed and messed things up.

So, now it should be available. If you have not seen The 2 Timothy 2:2 Objective, please stop by and look around at the links, the archive, and the store. Let me know what you think. And if you have a link that needs to be posted, send it to me at rolland@2t22.org.

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Book Review: Renewed by the Word

This year I am going to attempt to post more book reviews. One of my goals for each year is a certain number of books to complete by years end. I missed my goal for 2007 by a few books but setting a goal always keeps me moving toward something.

I just finished my first book for 2008. It is entitled Renewed by the Word: The Bible and Christian Revival since the Reformation by Dr. Jeremy N. Morris (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005; 153 pp.; ISBN:1-56563-533-7). Morris is “Dean and Lord Robert Runice Fellow in Ecclesiastical at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and associate Lecturere at the Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge” (Back cover).

I had a hard time following the flow of thought in this brief historical book. It traverses the globe in its scope but was too brief to do so in much depth.

The author’s goal was to trace three major revivals throughout the world. He first analyzed the Great Awakening in America and the personalities pivotal in that movement. This began with several chapters of introductory material. This was somewhat beneficial for it gave the background for which revivalism thrived. The introductory material discussed things as the religious wars which paved the way to religious freedom, the founding of America, and other events that gave rise to a renewal of the Christian faith.

I thought this section was the best part of the book. Morris covers church history well and reminds American believers that events which happened over 500 years ago in Europe have a direct impact on their faith. The continual reminder of the link between Britain and America which Morris gives in this section of the book is valuable.

Morris’ reveals the impact individuals had, good or bad, on the Evangelical revival; people who are not usually addressed in church history books, at least those that I have read. These would include Fredrick the Great, Gottfried Leibnitz, the Countess of Huntingdon, and others.

Second, Morris jumps from Evangelical revivalism and examines the revival within the Catholic Church. This was somewhat less valuable for me but perhaps a student of the resurgence of the Catholic Church would be interested. I am sure it my personal bias, but I am not sure Catholics becoming more committed to their dogma qualifies as a “revival” in the same sense the Great Awakening was a revival.

It was interesting reading about the ecstatic individuals Catholics encountered during this time. For example, Morris describes Bernadette Soubirous encounter various visions, eventually revealing that it was Mary appearing to Bernadette and telling her that Mary was the Immaculate Conception. (p. 98).

These emotional and experiential events were not only part of the Catholic revival but also something Evangelicals would deal with. Morris concludes his book by considering the “third wave” of revival or what is today known as Pentecostalism. Marked by experiential and ecstatic events, the Pentecostal revival is described as beginning by William Seymour in 1906 a Methodist church on Azusa Street in Los Angeles. Again, one could debate (and many have done so vigorously) if Pentecostalism is based in the word or simply in emotion. Because of this, Pentecostalism is an important part of understanding revivalism in America. One cannot argue the impact Azusa Street has had on Evangelicalism today throughout the world.

There is a chapter about church the evolution of church buildings which seems out of place in the whole discussion of revivalism. It is understandable that revivalism has changed the way people understand “church” and where a church meets. Morris seems to credit revivalism for moving the body of Christ from Gothic cathedrals to Wal-Mart-like churches. However, the consideration of the American mindset may have had more input than Morris indicates.

Renewed by the Word would be a good book for someone in the Holiness tradition or Pentecostal movement to gain a better understanding of their heritage. With my Baptist background, I would rather recommend books like A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada by Mark A. Noll (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000, ISBN: 0-8082-0651-1) or A Summary of Christian History by Robert A. Baker (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994, ISBN: 0-8054-3288-4 ). Both of these books are more comprehensive in their scope but both have short sections on revivalism and Pentecostalism. The Christian history student would benefit from a broader view of history than just that covered in Renewed by the Word.

2t22 Rating:

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The Structure of Cain and Abel Story

Continuing on the examination of Genesis, I am looking back a few chapters to the story of Cain and Abel. I do not have much to say about the story but I did want to post a visual aid. Also, my wife said she was tired to looking at the Rhino Wipe. :-)

With this visual aid, one can see the artistry with which the Word of God was written. (click image to see a larger image):


The most striking thing about this story is obvious comparison between the two sons of the first humans. Sin had entered the world through Adam and now, in just one generation, we see how deeply sin can run and what it can do in a person's life.

I have had some trouble getting things going this year for the posts. It would take two or three posts to explain all that is going on but I will try to post a bit more regularly. In the mean time, if you have some thoughts about Cain and Abel which was prompted by this visual aid, let me know.

Also, let me know if the visual aids are of any value to you if you have a minute or two. As the map in the right column shows, there are several people who hit this blog from around the world somewhat regularly. If this is helping you, I would sure like to hear how. Just post a quick comment. thanks.

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 1.11.08

'nuf said.

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That Is One Big Leaf

Well, here is a picture of me. The best you will get from this blog.

When we were in Portland this last year, Rhonda and I took a walk in a park in the middle of town. There were leaves all over the ground. This was one of them. No trick photography. I am holding it up to my face. One of the best pictures I have ever taken.

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 1.2.08

They had me at sausage sprinkles.

Me, to my daughter Jessica, in reference to the Original Submarino at Fazoli's, which has salami, pepperoni, sausage sprinkles, ham, Provolone cheese, marinated vegetables, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo.

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Ten Moments of 2007

My good friend, Mark Webb, has a blog entitled Converging Heritage on which he posted 10 memorable moments of the last year. I always enjoy reading Mark's blog (and I would encourage you to take some time to read through his thoughts) but I thought I would copy his post. This is always a good exercise - to look back over the year and think about its impact. If you are reading this, consider yourself "tagged" and create your own "Ten moments of 2007" and post the link in the comments. I would love to read about your year.

1. Our family's trip to Overton, Nevada (June)
We traveled to this little town about 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas for a interview for a pastoral position at a church there. We fell in love with the place and the people. We had a great time together as a family and saw some great sites: Hoover Dam, The Lost City Museum, and Valley of Fire. They decided not to call me as their pastor but we gained a new friend, Kim Abbott, who has her own blog entitled A Plumber's Wife, always a fun blog to visit (Kim, if there are better links to any of the above let me know).

2. Our family's daytrip to The Happy Apple farm (July)
The three of us took some time this Spring to run out to Penrose, Colorado, to The Happy Apple Farm, which is a "pick your own" fruit farm. It was a nice day for us as a family and we got some nice apples, with which we made apples pies. Always a good time.

3. Rhonda's and my trip to Portland, Oregon (September)
Another trip on which I was interviewing for position, this time at a bible college there. It was essentially two days of interviews but they gave us a couple of extra days to run around the city. It was a nice time alone with my wife.

4. Mini-vacation with the family (October)
We wanted to get away, but not too far away, so we got a great rate on a nice hotel here in Colorado Springs. We stayed there two nights but ran around town like we were visiting. It is nice to go on vacation where you know all the best places to eat. We all had a great time together.

5. Jessica's knee surgery (November)
Not a fun memory but an indelible one nonetheless. There is nothing worse than knowing your child hurts and the only way for you to fix it is to allow a stranger take her into another room, make her unconscious, and then cut into her. Not the best feeling in the world, but I remember thinking how much worse it will be when I have to let her go. Not fun but very, very memorable.

6. Pastoral visit to a prison inmate in Oklahoma (October)
My pastor and I drove to a prison just inside Oklahoma to visit an inmate whose mother goes to our church. We had a great time going there and back and laughed a lot (see here and here for a sample). We also had a more somber time during the visitation (see here for more on that). It was quality time with my pastor and good time ministering.

7. Weekend with my brother-in-law and his new girlfriend (September)
My brother-in-law came to Colorado Springs in September and we were able to meet his new girlfriend. We had a nice time with them both. We played Wii a lot and celebrated my father-in-law's and my birthday (click here for the post about that). We always have great time when Sean comes to visit.

8. July 4th outreach event (July)
On Independence Day, our church had an outreach event which I spearheaded. The pastor and I planned for several months in advance and overall it went well. Best we can figure, we had about somewhere between 200-250 come celebrate with us. We had singing, dramatic presentations, prizes, food, bounce houses, all kinds of stuff. I was glad to see how well it went and how much the church enjoyed reaching out to the community.

9. Preaching through Psalm 119 (multiple dates)
Granted, this is not one moment but instead 22 moments but as a whole it was a nice time. It had been a long time since I was able to go through a significant section of Scripture with any group. I appreciate my pastor's willingness to share the pulpit with me. I enjoyed everything about it: the studying, the preparation of the sermons, the preaching, the discussion after, the whole thing. But after twenty-two weeks in one chapter, I was ready to move on to other things.

10. Doctoral studies orientation seminar (April)
In April I drove to Kansas City, Missouri to attend the orientation seminar for doctoral studies. I am almost sure this was the worst week of my life but definitely it was the worst week of the year. I met some great people there. I met a new friend from Georgia named Troy Lindsey (scroll about 2/3 down the page for a picture). The class itself was not all that hard and I got an A in the seminar. But I did not like the time away from my family and the professors there were some of the more arrogant people I have ever met. Scripture say, "everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40b) and I did not want to be like these gentlemen. Memorable but not something I would like to do again-at least not at that school.

Well, for good or bad, those where the top ten things I remember about 2007. And now the year is almost gone. What about you? What things do you remember about 2007? If you do not have your own blog, just post yours in the comments to this post.

Have a great 2008! And let me know if this blog has been of any benefit to you.

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 12.18.07

I can buy a lid!
I can buy the flap on the lid!

Jessica and Rhonda discussing what they could buy with a $2.00 Starbucks giftcard.

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 12.17.07

I want an official, Red Rider, carbine action, two-hundred shot, range model air rifle...oooooo.

Ralphie, on a commerical for A Christmas Story.

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Digging Into the Burial of Sarah

For my final post on the chiasms found in Genesis, I want post more of an assignment rather than just posting information. I would like to challenge you read Genesis 23 and identify the chiasm there and the find the focus of the passage in this section of Scripture.

This chapter records the burial of Sarah by Abraham. It is an interesting story. Spend some time looking at this passage. Attempt to find the chiasm by identifing the word pairs in parallel to each other (they are easily identifable in the English translation). After that, you can read this article, which is a great study of this passage, its structure, and how that impacts interpretation of the story. The article is bit technical but skip over all the Hebrew "stuff" and look at the structure and the exegesis. It is a worthwhile read.

I hope this study of poetry in Genesis has been helpful. I will be posting some other posts dealing with Genesis in the coming day. I pray those will be helpful as well.

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The "Point" of the Tower of Babel Story

In the series of post concerning Genesis, I have introducing the topic of poetry and chiasm so that I could share about the tower of Babel story. To begin with, allow me to say that while the tower of Babel story is written in a poetic form, I do believe that it is a true story. Just because something was written with poetic style does not mean that the story is myth. It is just a creative way for the author to convey the story.

The Tower of Babel story, found in Genesis 11:1-9 is written as a chiasm (I wish this was my own thoughts but most of this thought is from Allen P. Ross' book Creation and Blessing, a great commentary for the book of Genesis). This is based on the word pairs identified throughout the story. The image below shows the phrases in which the words are located. It is my desire that the image clearly shows what I am referring to (click for larger image).


One can see from the visual aid that the point of the story is "the LORD came down to see." All the word was united in a ungodly purpose. Most scholars believe that the tower of Babel was a ziggurat on which the people worshipped false gods or intended to worship false gods. Whatever the case, they were building a very tall tower, something of great human accomplishment. I am sure everyone on earth thought it was an amazing feat of human strength and ingenuity. Nevertheless, God has to bend way, way down to see what these puny humans are up to.

Now we know, first, that God is spirit (John 4:24) and so He doesn't "bend" down. We also know that God is omniscient (Psalm 147:4-5) so He does not need to come down to find out what the humans are doing. The author is using this kind of images to show us how infinitly small man's doings are to the Creator and Sustainer of life. Yes, they made a big tower, but only big in man's eyes. God has to bend down and squint to get a good look at it.

You may say, "I see how each word pair relates in this passage. However, there is one set of words that I do not see how they relate. Specifically, 'Come let us make bricks' and 'Come let us confuse.' Why are these in parallel with each other?" This is what make the whole story interesting, creative, and frankly, almost funny.

In the Hebrew, the word for bricks is LBN and the word for confuse is "NBL." Thus, these words are parallel but only because they are the same word but read in the wrong direction. God is saying, you think that you are going to make bricks but I am going to turn that around on you and then you will be confused. Even the words of the story get turned around and make confusion - literally. (Click for larger image)


The story is not only an amazing story of God's power and sovereignty. It is also evidence that the word of God is not only revelation of God, but it is a work of art. God could have revealed Himself to us in a bland lists and plain stories. Instead, He uses the authors' gifts and style to produce an exciting and living revelation of Himself.

Here is the visual aid with both graphics attached (click for larger image):


If I am not beating a dead horse, I would like to share one more story in Genesis structured similarly to this story. I will share it the beginning of next week.

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The Emphasis of the Image of God

In the previous post, I was discussing poetry, chiasms, and interpreting in Genesis. Continuing on the same topic, I want to post another example of a chiasm to show what a chiasm is and the significance of the structure when interpreting Scripture.

This example is found in Genesis 1:27, which says,

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

In the English versions, one can sense there is probably some structure issue present here. It flows like poetry. But, that is not proof. When one looks at the Hebrew, notes the word pairs in the passage, and diagrams the passage, it looks something like this:

(note the "X" in the background, which shows how this poetical form received its name)

While this is a little more intricate than Genesis 9:6, it is still a chiasm and still is worth considering. Several things are noted when the structure of this passage is analyzed. First, the issue man being created sandwiches this whole passage. While not the emphasis of the passage, there is no doubt that the author knew the origins of humans was a creative act of God.

Second, there is something that looks out of place in this whole passage. The third and fourth words in this passage stand out as not parallel to anything. This is indicated in the visual aid as "SDO man." "SDO" is short for "Sign of the Direct Object" which means that man was the direct object, or receiptiant, of God's creative act. Whenever something seems out of place or stands out in a parallel structure, that is also a clue to an important part of the passage.

Third, this is really two chiasms working as one, but they have the same emphasis or point. Specifically, the issue of the image of God is the focus of this passage. Yes, God created humans but He made them special. He made them in His own image. The second, bottom, chiasm shows something interesting about that image of God. God made humans with a plurality to them. This is like God, who has a plurality to Him in the Trinity. In His image He created humans and He created them male and female.

This, again, shows the impact structure has in interpreting a scripture passage. The past two previous posts were introductory material to discuss a larger passage in Genesis where the structure is critical for the proper exegesis of the passage. My next post will address this story, its structure, and the structural impact on interpreting that story.

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Structural Issues in Genesis

In a previous post in the series I have been posting on Genesis, I mentioned that one of the more fascinating aspects of the Old Testament literature is the artistry with which it was written. Hebrew poetry is an interesting and enlightening study for the Bible student.

In short, the basis for Hebrew poetry is the word pair or parallelism. Parallelism presents itself in many different forms. One of the more interesting forms is called a Chiasm. First, the word Chiasm (key'-as-um) comes from the Greek letter chi (key) which is written like an "X" (incidently, it makes a hard "K" sound as in the first letter of "Christ"). The reason this is important is because when diagrammed, this form of poetry is shaped like the left half of a chi or an "X."

Secondly, a chiasm is structured so that the middle of the chiasm or the middle of the X is the important part of the passage. For example, an simple chiasm can be found in Genesis 9:6:

            A. Whoever sheds
                        B. the blood
                                    C. of man
                                    C'. by man
                        B.' his blood
            A'. will be shed

There are several to note from this example which will teach us much about chiasms. First, when diagrammed as above, one can immediately see the word pairs and how this structure is shaped like half of an "X." The "A's," "B's," "C's," etc. are for showing how the word pairs relate.

Second, it should be noted that the parallels or word pairs are evident in the Hebrew. That is, a passage may look like a chiasm in an English translation of the Bible but that does not make it so. One must be able to show the same words or words based in the same root word to show the parallelism.

Third, and most important, the point of identifying a chiasm is not to take note of an interesting structure utilized in a passage. The purpose of examining any structure is for interpretive issue. As stated above, the important part of the passage is found in the middle or the apex of the "X." Thus, in the example above, the idea of "man" or "human" is the emphasis of this verse. Genesis 9:6 allows for capital punishment because of the value of human life. If someone is so callous and flippant about human life as to take a life, then that person will not be allow to live. (Note: I am not commenting on the current practice of the capital punishment in America - perhaps in a different post I will - I am commenting on the Old Testament practice of capital punishment.)

In the end, yes, one could gain that understanding from a simple reading of the text. Nevertheless, the author took time to construct this simple verse in an artistic way. As diligent bible students, we should experience the text in the manner in which the author intended. Taking note of specific structures helps the exegete to better interpret what the author was conveying to his audience.

As a sidebar, the present of chiasm in Scripture has been debated among biblical scholars. Some seem to think they are everywhere. Books like Chiasmus in Antiquity: Structures, Analyses, Exegesis and The Literary Structure of the Old Testament propose that it is the main way in which the Old Testament authors, and maybe even the New Testament authors, wrote their contributions to Scripture. Other works, like the article Chiasmus in Ubiquity, acknowledge this type of structure but claim it is no where near as common as the previously mentioned books indicate. (In fact, one can see the almost humorous argument between the two in the titles of the works: Chiasmus in Antiquity vs. Chiasmus in Ubiquity)

My next post will again address the issue of chiasms found in Genesis.

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Narrative and Poetry in Genesis

It is interesting to note that when one is reading through Genesis there are "tags" which indicate something important just happened. These tags are poetry. In English, the basis of poetry is rhyme. In the Japanese form of poetry called Haiku, the basis of poetry is syllables. In Hebrew poetry, the basis for poetry is word pairs. Thus, various forms of parallelism make up poetry throughout the Old Testament (a great source with which to gain a better understanding of Hebrew parallelism is the introduction section of Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, by Wilem VanGemeren). Most of the time, in English bibles, poetry is formatted differently and can be identified simply by noticing the change in format.

Throughout the book of Genesis, after most of the narrative sections there is a short (usually short - sometimes long) section of poetry. This indicates to us something to the reader. When a poetic section is encountered, the reader is to experience it as poetry. They are to allow the images to infiltrate their emotions and imagination. These sections of poetry may have also been used as mnemonic devises. As the Old Testament was relayed to generations upon generations, the stories were told and then essentially finished with a poem (or perhaps a song?). Thus, perhaps these poetic pericopes helped in the remembering of the story and the order of the stories.

Do not misunderstand what I am saying. I am not saying that Genesis 1-11 is poetry, as some Christian leaders teach. I am saying that Genesis is mostly historical narrative with some poetry interlaced throughout the entire book at integral points. Identifing these poetic sections provides a two-fold interpretive result. First, it shows that the narrative sections are in fact to be understood as historical narrative (or they would be written as poetry). Second, it should force us to take note of these important poetic sections.

See the visual aid below (click the picture to enlarge):


This brief investigation of the poetic sections of Genesis should teach us a few lessons:

1) The bible is an amazing work of art. God could have inspired the writers to write the accounts of the Old Testaments in saints in bland, journal-like entries. Instead, the stories are filled with action, emotion, and intrigue written in such a way as to evoke an emotional response from the reader.

2) When we read the stories of the Old Testament, it is critical we read them as the original audience read them. If we read over the poetic sections like it was just another part of the story, we are missing not only the beauty of the passage, but we are missing something of its meaning, as well.

3) The poetic sections should slow down our reading through Genesis. They are "pit stop" on the interpretive road; places for us to stop, lean back, and let our minds dwell on the preceding story. We should allow the poetry do what it was intended to do: stir our imaginations and emotions.

The mix of narrative and poetry throughout Genesis brings us to a deeper apprecation of artistry and understandability, while also bringing us to humble realization that we serve a great and good God, the same God who brought all things into existence as described in Genesis.

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The Origins of Public Schools

It being one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so that at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted with false glosses of saint-seeming deceivers; and to the end that learning may not be buried in the grave of our forefathers, in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors.

It is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to fifty households shall forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint; provided those that send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they can have them taught for in other towns.

And it is further ordered, that when any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families or householders, they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university, provided that if any town neglect the performance hereof above one year that every such town shall pay 5 pounds to the next school till they shall perform this order.

The Old Deluder Act of 1647

Why is it that we never hear about this? I never remember reading in history class, either in public school or in seminary, that the reason the Massachusetts Bay Colony began to teach children to read and to write is so those children could read the Bible and be aware of Satan schemes and not be deceived. Christian schools sometimes get ridiculed for even existing but, in essence, they are just attempting to recapture the original intent of public schools. I find that interesting.

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Orthopraxy Requires Orthodoxy

It is worse than useless for Christians to talk about the importance of Christian morality, unless they are prepared to take their stand upon the fundamentals of Christian theology. It is a lie to say that dogma does not matter; it matters enormously. It is fatal to let people suppose that Christianity is only a mode of feeling; it is vitally necessary to insist that is first and foremost a rational explanation of the universe. It is hopeless to offer Christianity as a vaguely idealistic aspiration of a simple and consoling kind; it is, on the contrary, a hard, tough, exacting, and complex doctrine, steeped in a drastic and uncompromising realism. And it is fatal to imagine that everybody knows quite well what Christianity is and needs only a little encouragement to practice it. The brutal fact is that...not one person in a hundred has the faintest notion what the Church teaches about God or man or society or the person of Jesus Christ.

Dorothy Sayers, Creed or Chaos?

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The Key to the Structure of Genesis - Toledot

As I indicated in a previous post, I am teaching through Genesis for our Sunday School class. As I have been studying I have become more and more awestruck with how intracately the book has been written. This becomes evident when noticing the main structure of Genesis.

Most Old Testament scholars hold that the key to Genesis structure is a Hebrew world toledot (pronounced toll-uh-dote). This is the word translated "the account of" or "generations" which appears periodically throughout the book. For example, Genesis 2:4 begins with "This is the account of the heavens and the earth..." or, in Hebrew, "the toledot. of the heavens and the earth..." Then the biblical record details the life of the first humans. The word shows up at the beginning of a section of text and this heading,

thus summarize[s] the ensuing discussion, which traces the development of the subject from a starting point to an end. (Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing, pg. 71).

Toledot, then, is almost like a title or summary of the story which is about to take place. However,

contrary to what one might expect, the accounts are not essentially about the titular ancestor but about his descendants. For instance, the accounts of the lines of Terah, of Isaac, and of Jacob are primarily about their offspring: Abraham, Jacob and the twelve sons of Israel, respectively. (Bruce Waltke, Genesis, p. 18)

There are ten actual appearances of the word through Genesis. Some think Genesis 1:1 serves as a "toledot" without the use of the word. Here is another visual aid to show where these division occur throughout Genesis. It created it using Ross' and Waltke's commentaries. Hope it helps.

(click on picture for a larger image)

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I Was Born With It

When was the last time your name made the top 1000 baby names? And when it did, what did it rank. Strangely enough, my name never rated high and fell off the charts sometimes in the 1950's.

CLICK HERE for a visual representation of how unpopular my name is.

CLICK HERE to gloat how popular your name is. Go ahead and post your link the in posts so I can see how normal your name is and I can continue to wonder what my parents were thinking.

Have fun.

And I am just kidding. I love my name. Really...

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Filling the Spaces of Creation

This Sunday, I will be leading our Sunday School in a discussion of Genesis. This study will last for two quarters. I am excited about delving into this important book.

The first lesson will be covering the first two chapters of Genesis. Granted, that is way too much ground to cover in one session but Lifeway's material always moves a bit faster than I care to go. Nevertheless, there is still good meat to chew on in the verses we do cover.

The outline of the message is as follows:

Value the Good Environment (1:1, 31)
Appreciate Humanity's Uniqueness (1:26-28, 2:15-17)
Respect God's Plan for Marriage (2:18, 21-25)

In looking at the first 25 verses of chapter 1 and taking a closer examination of the six days of creation, one sees not only God's awesome power in creation, but God's goodness and artistry in the act of creation. One simple example of this is the order in which God created everything and the way in which Scripture records His activity. In verses 4, 7, and 9 the author of Genesis records that God separated areas to make spaces: light and dark, water above and below creating sea and sky, and then separating land from the sea creating dry land. Only after God created all these spaces did He begin to fill them in the order in which He created. In verses 16, 20 and 24 the Bible records God filling up the spaces He just created: Sun and moon and stars to fill the light and dark, birds and fish to fill the sky and seas, and animals and plants to fill the land.

Here is a graphical representation:

Click for larger picture

It is this type of observation which manifests the design of God's creation and how masterfully Scripture captures God's work. God could not create fish with no place to put them. God could not place a cow in the sea without dry land. First spaces, and then filling them.

This is not necessarily a life changing observation from the first chapter of Genesis. But it does shows that God has a purpose for His creation and His purpose is organized, at times symmetrical, and always good for His creation.

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Apparently, FIFTH Time's a Charm

In my previous posts (here and here) I have chronicled my adventure in fixing my Nissan 200SX. Actually, the posts were more about me waiting for the AC Compressor from the part store than the actually fixing of the car. The four hour job turned into a seven day job. The part store actually had to reorder the part FIVE TIMES! However, I was patient and after much trouble, which I will not detail here, I finally installed the part. Rita is up and kicking again.

Things I learned:

• The location of the pully adjustments to install the belts on my car. This made the job much easier than last time I removed the belts, as you may imagine.

• A part store in town I did not know about who will do whatever they can to obtain what I need to get my car working.

• How patient I can be installing the same part several time and then removing that part and taking it back to the part store.

• There are times I wish I had more money than time.

• I am getting too old to be crawling under a car all day and not feel it the next.

• My time table is rarely on God's timetable. I am not sure why I needed to not be driving my car the last week but I am sure it is the best thing for me.

• I am sure there is more but I will stop there.

Now that this burden is off my mind and I can focus on other things, I will begin to post more spiritually rewarding posts in the future. I am planning to post on some different topics: my leading our Sunday School class in the study of Genesis, some thoughts on perparing a sermon, perparing for a religious pilgrimage class, attempting to bolster PPBI enrollment, and things like that. Right now, I am just thankful that the garage is cleaned up, and we are back to being a two car family, and my car is put back together and running.

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My Favorite Christmas Song

This is one of my favorite holiday shows songs. These "villians" crack me up. They're too much!

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Third Time's a...Pain!

In a previous post, I mentioned some problems I was having with my little Nissan 200SX. I finally was able to begin work on it yesterday. I got the car in the garage and begin tearing it apart. First of, I will mention that it looks like they dropped this engine in from a helicopter because EVERYTHING is so crammed in there you cannot do anything without taking the car half apart. Nevertheless, I took off the tire, the cowlings, and the belts (a major feat in itself) and removed the air conditioner compressor.

It is not like I need an air conditioner right now, since it is something like 27 outside. However, as stated in the previous post, the compressor was hanging up the belt and not allowing the engine to turn over fast enough to start.

I put the new part on and it fit great but the AC lines would not fit into the new compressor. I called the part store and they told me they would have the right one the next morning (meaning today, Wednesday). So, at 9:00 A.M. I headed to the part store to exchange the new compressor with the one they have (I will not mention the part store because of what follows). When we looked at the newly delivered compressor, it was not the same compressor as the one I removed.

"We can have another one here by 1:30," the man said.

So, at 1:30, I made my way to the part store again. We opened the box, and there sat a compressor. It was not the compressor I needed but a compressor nonetheless. It looked like someone at the warehouse had placed the compressor in the wrong box because the box had the right part number on it. However, the compressor had a different part number than the box had.

"We can have another one here by Friday morning, 9:30," the mand said.

On Friday morning, I will make my way down to the parts store and take a look at the forth AC compressor delivered to me and see it if works. If it does, I will have extended a four-hour job into a four-day job.

I thought three was the perfect number.

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True Students

In contrast to the previous post about learning and students (here, here, and here), I must brag about the students of Pikes Peak Bible Institute (PPBI logo on the left). I am currently teaching a class in Christian Doctrines and we were fast coming up on the end of the class sessions. Technically, we were supposed to be completed with the class in the last week of November. However, I was a few weeks behind in my instruction and needed one more week to really cover all the material I needed to cover.

The students said to me, "Can we have the class go one more week so we can learn all we need to?"

I stood there stunned not exactly sure what to say. This was great. I have never taught a class where the students said, "We would like the class to go longer." I have to laugh about my initial response because I thought, "What is going on here? Can I do that?!? Can I schedule the class around the students' desire to learn?"

So, as you can well imagine, we are schedule to go one more week than we are supposed to go. What an amazing difference!! I can see it each week. To these students, grades are almost incidental. What they desire is to become better equipped so they can serve God more effectively. They think of their class time as a application of Ephesians 4:11-16:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.(NASB)

These are true students, those who are truly interested in learning, those truly desiring education, those longing to be equipped from ministry. I will give my life in ministry to these type of students any time, for the rest of my life.

Part 4 of 4 (1 2 3 4)

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My Love/Hate Relationship with Rita

Did you ever have one of those days which did not end the way you thought it would when you got up that morning. First thing this morning I received a call from a friend whose car had broken down somewhere between Colorado Springs and Cañon City. So I packed up my toolbox and numerous supplies, got my coffee and bagel, and got in my car to go. I turned the key and rrrrr...rrrrr...rrrrr...rrrrr...rrrrr.

"You have GOT to be kidding me, Rita!"

Rita is my car. She is a 1998 Nissan 200SX SE. Here is a picture:


This not Rita but it is the same model and color. She looks just like this (click picture to see a larger .

OK...First, yes, I named my car. I know it is corny but when we first bought it my daughter was about 12 and wanted to give the car a name (she named everything at that age, it seemed like). I chose Rita, something like Really Irritating Trashy Automobile, or whatever it was I told her to make her laugh.

Secondly, and more to my point, I have not any trouble with Rita lately. None. Then, this morning when I needed to go work on a car, she said, "nope." My A.C. has not been working and I know that probably it is the A.C. compressor hanging which makes the belt hang which slows down the engine turnover and prevents the car from starting (this has happened in the past and I am about 95% sure it is the same problem again).

So, I took our Oldsmobile (no name) and finally was able to help my friend, which consisted of inspecting the car for a while and then informing my friend that I do not think I could fix it, my friend would have to have a tow-truck come and get the car, and I do not think my friend's car would make it. Unfortunately, I was right - the engine was toasted.

When I got back, I when to a variety of different part stores in Colorado Springs (AutoZone, Checkers, Advanced Auto, NAPA, etc.) No one had the parts for Rita. So, I had to order them and prepare to work on the car on Tuesday. So, I woke up with one set of plans, and those plans were immediately changed to work on one car, which could not be saved. The day ended with an all-day date with my car on Tuesday.

So I have a love/hate relationship with my car. I love it when Rita is working well. I hate it when she does not.

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 11.18.07

Thank you, pronouns!

Albert Andreas Armadillo, on the School House Rock DVD song for pronouns.

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Same Thing, Different Setting

In my previous posts (here and here) I discussed my frustrations with my desire to teach for education while many students I have recently encountered have not wanted to learn anything but were motivated by something else. In these previous posts, the motivation was grades. However, I have also encountered a resistance to learning in the church. While not motivated by grades, there is still something that blocks these people's desire to learn.

I am the discipleship director at my home church. I provide classes which adults can come and learn more about the Christian life and attempt to implement these principles in to real life (NOTE: the issue of this not being real discipleship or if this is the best way to learn the Christian life is not really the issue here. The point here is that there were classes were learning was offered to adults students).

The last two classes have not went well. The first class was on prayer. There was a DVD instructor, group discussion, and the practice of prayer. It was not the best class on prayer I have ever seen but it was teaching, discussion and practice of the topic. Most anyone should have been able to take something from the class to implement in real life. However, regardless of my efforts to direct the discussion elsewhere, most of the discussion was criticizing the DVD and how it made prayer "too complicated."

Comments like, "We should just praise God in prayer and not worry about anything else," "I watch my 4 year old granddaughter pray and that is all I need to learn about prayer," were par for the course during discussion time.

I attempted to show them that Scripture speaks of prayer in a deeper sense. There is more to prayer than what a 4 year old knows. However, it was not well received.

The next class was on living today in light of eternity. Living each day with the knowledge that our lives today will impact eternity. I think a worthwhile discussion could come from that kind of topic. However, again, most of the discussion has been a critique on the curriculum. I would agree, it is not the best, but is there anything we can take from it to impact our lives? Is there nothing salvageable from this discussion?

The problem as I see it is a critical spirit, which is something that sounds like I have right now. But, my comments here and in the previous posts have been out of concern more than out of critical-ness. Am I failing as an instructor? This is always a possibility. Is there a critical spirit in the church which must be dealth with before people can mature? Am I attempting to "scratch an itch" in the church which is not there? All of these are things I wrestle with and I do not currently know the answer.

I know every experience as an instructor/teacher/preacher cannot be the example of what a classroom should be like. However, as a teacher, I need to see a change in the people I teach. I need to see that they have learned, which means they have implemented the material in their own lives.

I will keep teaching; I will keep attempting to improve spiritually and as an instructor; I will keep attempting to teach what I believe God would have me teach. I just pray that I am impacting His Kingdom for His glory.

Part 3 of 4 (1 2 3 4)

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 11.16.07

WIN A PRE-PAID CREMATION

In a piece of junk mail from the Neptune Society. Backstory: On my last birthday, I began receiving mail from the Neptuen Society encouraging me to choose cremation as the way of disposing my body after I die. Not exactly the birthday I was hoping for. I have been receiving them since. Today I received this piece of mail with the chance to win the pre-paid cremation. Technically, then, this would be the funniest thing I read to day. But I did read it aloud so it was heard. Apparently, October's "winner" was Thomas A. Malone. Not sure if I should feel good or bad for him.

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Teaching for Learning...NOT Grades

In my previous post I discussed my frustration with students who are not as interested in education as they are in grades, specifically those students who have something of an entitlement mentality. I said, there argument is something like this: "I have paid a lot of money to be in this class. I have shown up every week and have stayed relatively conscious. I have turned something in every time something is due. Therefore, I should receive an 'A' for the class."

When a student says something like this, I attempt to remind them of several things:

1. You are not paying for a grade but for an education...specifically, to be taught by those who have experience and training in the field they are teaching. You are essentially paying for their time to help you become better equipped to do whatever it is you are attempting to do in life.

2. Attending class and remaining conscious in class is not the requirement for an "A." That is the minimum requirement to pass the class - which is the definition of a "C".

3. I try to explain to them that if you look at the minimum requirements of the papers and other assignments and aim for the minimum requirements, do not be surprised to receive the minimum grade you can get to pass. This really outrages them for some reason. When an assignment is given that says, for example, 10 to 15 pages with 5 to 8 sources. This does not mean that any paper which has 10 pages and 5 sources is an "A" paper. It means that any paper that falls within these parameters passes with some grade. Unless the student is an extremely gifted author, the changes are those that match the minimum requirements will not be as good as those papers in which the student has gone the extra mile, looking up extra resources, writing clear statements (which may take a bit more space), and things like that. I tell if you aim for the minimum, do not be surprised with the average grade.

4. I finally tell them, "I cannot just give you points or grades. You earn them. Besides, it is more important that you have learned something in the class and not necessarily what grade you received in the class."

Most of the time, these comments fall on deaf ears.

In one class I wrote a big "C" on the board and asked the class what this grade means.

"Average," everyone said.

Then I asked them what an average paper would look like.

....Silence....

Then I said something to this effect: "When you look at the minimum requirements to pass and aim for that, you are aiming for a "C." If you paper is riddled with APA errors (which is the convention used at this school) then that is average, because the average student will not be concerned if they have APA errors or not. The "A" paper will be one in which the student strives to find the best sources, and worked hard to fulfill the requirements prescribed by the assignment. They took time to proof-read their work and looked up how to correctly cite those sources used in the paper. That is an above average paper."

The student began to complain: "If the assignment is 10-15 pages, then anyone should be able to get an "A" for any amount of pages they write in that range!" "You are saying we all cannot get an 'A' because of averages." Etc.

I tell them, "I am not talking about grade distribution. I am not talking about the number of pages dictating the grade. I am saying that probably at this level of education, the minimum amount of writing does not produce the quality which is described as 'above average.'"

We go round and round. Needless to say, I have never be the most popular teacher at this school. But that is not why I am there. I am there to challenge these students, to make them strive beyond where they are at. I am there to help them but not pander to them. I am there to teach and not to pass out good grades. I am doing no one any good if I give out A's which are not A's. That would only be cheating the student and compromising the academic integrity of the school. And I would not be faithful to my standards.

My next post will deal with how I have dealt with something similar in the church
environment and differences that creates. For now, I would just say that I am not the world's best student. I do not pretend to have "it" all down. However, I know that the instructors which were most influential in my educations where those who were toughest on my and demanded the most from me. I learned from these instructors. I pray that eventually, my students may have the same experience from sitting in one of my classes.

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Grades vs. Education

One of my passions is teaching adults. In general, adults who attend a class, whether in school or in church, want to learn something. Lately, however, I have been an instructor to students who do not really care to learn but, instead, are in the class to receive a grade. More specifically, they are in the class to receive an A, whether their work reflects that level of understanding or not. This is incredibly frustrating for me as an instructor. (I will be using "this student" a lot in the next few paragraphs as I do not wish to reveal anything about the students I am talking about).

I realize that part of the problem may be the result of my inadequacies as an instructor. Therefore, I am always looking for ways to improve a class, create better assignments, and sharpen my teaching skills. However, I am seeing more and more students who are not interested in learning anything from the class but are only interested in how to obtain that all-important "A".

Case in point: I just completed an Ecclesiology class at the Colorado Springs branch of a college at which I am an adjunct professor. This is a class dedicated to the understanding of the theology of the church and how the church is governed. To begin with, there was one student who had taken the class with me before but the student failed in the previous attempt to complete the class. So this was the students second time around. I told this student, "DO NOT turn in the papers I graded last time for this class! That would be self-plagiarism and would carry serious consequences." However, by week 2 of the class, this student was copying work from the previous class and turning it for a grade...again. This student did this for almost every assignment in class. This meant that each assignment failed the meet the criteria AND I turned in the work to the center director so that they could take action on it. This student was not interested in receiving an education; this student was interested in receiving a grade with as little work as possible. This student did receive a grade but not the one he or she was hoping for.

Another student in the same class was almost panicking because this student received a "C" on a major research paper. And that is exactly what it earned. It was not above average in its observations or its errors. It was average and so that is the grade this student earned. This student nearly went ballistic when the student saw the grade and immediately starting to ask for extra-credit. This student's comment was, "I have to redeem myself. I have never failed a paper before." These comments baffled me as I attempted to explain to the class that a "C" is good grade and it is not failing. However, for many adults students there are two grades: A and F. If they do not get an A on a paper or in the class, in their minds, they have failed. I should note that after I assigned the extra-credit assignment, this student did not really fulfill the requirements of the assignment (which is technically the definition of a "D") and ended up with a "C" on the extra-credit assignment (I showed too much grace, I know). My point is, I am not sure this student learned anything about the church and I do not know if this student knows the material in the class impacts this student every Sunday. But at least this student received a "B" in the class (there were other assignments which this student stepped up the quality of work and with the extra-credit pulled a "B" out of the class - which I am sure disappointed this student).

Another student in the same class attempted the extra-credit assignment because this student was very concerned they were 1/2 of a degree point between a B+ and an A-. Now, I do believe that this student did learn something in the class but it seems to be quite a lot of work to make sure you get that all-important "A" (the extra-credit assignment was reading an 18-page article and then writing a summary about that article). When this student turned the assignment, it was almost completely plagiarized from the article. In the first two pages of the assignment there were maybe 10 to 12 sentences which were original. The rest were directly from the article with no citations.

I told this student that, first, I would not accept this paper and if I did accept it, I would have to turn it into the office for plagiarism violations. Secondly, I usually round up to the nearest whole number, which means even without the extra-credit, this student would receive an A- (the other assignments were great and I am not sure what possessed this student to do this on the extra-credit).

These students were all Juniors or Seniors when counting their credit hours and they all should have known better. I expect this type of thing from adults who have not been in school since 1974. But these students had been in this particular program for at least a couple of years.

I could go on but I will not. My point is, I have seen more and more students with the entitlement mentality.There argument is something like this: "I have paid a lot of money to be in this class. I have shown up every week and have stayed relatively conscious. I have turned something in every time something is due. Therefore, I should receive an 'A' for the class."

My next post will deal with my response to these type of students. For now, I just would like to say that I frustrated with struggle between students wanting a grade instead of an education. I know I am not the only instructor who deals with this but is frustrating nonetheless.

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