At The Lake

The Guenter children at the lake! Thanks to the Zuidemas.

Superchristian

I am greatly distressed when I am confronted by Christians who think themselves more highly than they ought. It is easy to point fingers at other Christians and point out supposed flaws in their character.

Our moral fiber is never a perfectly developed photograph of Christ’s Likeness, but rather it is a diorama created by a first grader. Our moral fiber is disproportioned, unflattering and difficult to understand. The point of view is often skewed and the lack of depth belies our true nature.

We see very clearly our own areas of well developed godliness, but we hide our faults way in the back behind our strong points. We even fool ourselves into believing we are truly good, and we begin to think of differences even of personality as moral questions…asserting our superiority.

We can become arrogant and conceited in our perfection. Of course we would never say this…especially when confronted. We look past the telephone pole sticking out of our own eye and grow angry over the sliver in our neighbor’s eye.

The Invasion

So my pastor and I went to a movie the other night at 9:45 PM. We went to see the The Invasion, a movie about an alien germ like creature that takes over human beings. It was kinda weird, but there was a distinct and obvious philosophy put forward both overtly and covertly.

Human beings are inherently self interested, and to lose that quality of self interest, meaning to experience a harmony of interests or to achieve unity, would necessarily mean losing our humanity.

The movie achieves this unity through the destruction of humanity, but in the end humanity reigns supreme and self interest return to the throne. The movie ends with the statement that we need self interest in order to be human and in order to be good.

What is missing from this is a biblical idea of a harmony of interest as well as unity through Christ. When we are devoted to serving Christ and realize that we are not our own but that we are bought with a price, we can set aside our own selfish desires and ambitions in order to submit to Christ.

Do we lose our humanity when we are submitted to Christ? Paul wrote that he was dead nevertheless he lived…yet not him…but it was Christ living through him.

Open Door Policy

Just watch that first step.

This is behind Main Street in Three Rivers, MI.

Jefferson Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial from when we were in DC recently.

Historic Downtown

A picture of downtown Three Rivers, MI. This is right around the corner from our apartment.

imagine

This is directly across the street from our apartment on Portage Street in Three Rivers, MI. This is on the wall of the Carnegie Center for the Arts.

Weyerhaeuser

The back side of the plant in Three Rivers, MI.

The Truck

This truck lives next to our building. I've never seen it move.

Local Rail Bridge

This bridge is located next to the bridge on Broadway Street in Three Rivers, MI. It is about 1/2 mile from our place. Obviously, its abandoned.

Valley Irrigation 7000 Series

This is the same pivot as below. It's on soybeans.

Valley Irrigation

This is a picture of a pivot just across the road from where I work.

I thought this was a pretty neat picture of several buildings on Main Street.

This is the alleyway behind the businesses on Main Street in Three Rivers, Michigan. Do wonder they built the multi-million dollar parking lot for 55 cars. They raised the street level and left the stuff below to rot.

This is the dam in Constantine, MI. I go by this almost every day on my way to and from work.

Joe in the Park

Jen took this picture at the LBJ stand of trees in Washington, DC. It wasn't that great of a place, but it was nice to get away for a bit.

This was looking out the back of our apartment across the parking lot. Actually, I was just south of our place behind the businesses on Main Street in Three Rivers.

Who Is This?

Hints: He has never voted in a civil election in the United States. He could never be the President of the United States. He likes hockey...eh! He always has the bag. He has an office, but it's in the basement. My wife has a sewing machine with the same engine as his car has. He has a Facebook page...well...so do I...but I use myspace more. Main Street Cafe, World Fare, Brewsters, Taproom, Sam's Place, Dykstra's....all places you can find him if he's not at his office. He's a chick magnet. You will probably not find him in Walmart. He's a fisherman, a hockey coach, a water skier, and an alien.

Grand Rapids Adventure

So we went to Grand Rapids this weekend, and we visited the church of some of our friends (Hi Troy and Amy!).

Anyway, the service was unique and interesting. I rather enjoyed it. I was thinking of several questions during and after the service…and I’ll share them.

1. Is it incumbent upon a Christian to partake in communion unless they have a reason to decline, or is it incumbent upon a Christian to decline communion unless they have actively sought communion.

Let me use an example. If I’m traveling across the country and stop into a church at random on a Sunday morning, do I partake in communion if they happen to be partaking on that day? Or should I politely decline since I don’t really know much of anything about the church? I have erred on the side of declination in general because it takes a while for me to know if I am in fact in unity with that church body.

2. I heard today that Unity within the church centers around this question: “Do you believe that Jesus is God and that your sins were forgiven when he died on the cross?”

Indeed, this is the essential of the faith, but most Christians I know would not affirm the above statement. Most modern evangelicals don’t believe that their sins were forgiven when Christ died on the cross. They believe that their sins are forgiven when they make a decision or a confession of faith…or do something.

A.W. Pink wrote in his book on the doctrines of salvation and justification that most theologians begin their suma theologia, or summation of their theology, with the attributes of God. His argument is that every theologian should begin rather with how salvation occurs. He states their view of salvation tells much about their view of who God is. Do they worship a truly sovereign God who is sovereign even unto salvation, or do they worship a God who can’t really bring about His will?

Do I seek unity with those who deny the sovereign God? Do I pursue unity with Jews? Do I have unity with Roman Catholics or Mormons? Jehovah Witnesses? What about the United Pentecostals or the Apostolic churches which deny the trinity? What about the modern evangelicals who claim salvation is affected by our own decision or commitment?

It isn’t really all that simple.

3. I am a member of the Christian Reformed Church, and we are dedicated to a true, biblical view of the sovereign God. How does this “reformed-ness” influence or color our worship services? I have wondered at times about how I am personally effected by the reformed faith, but how is my church unique or what distinctives jump out from our faith? I noticed several things in Grand Rapids today, but I’d be interested in what Troy or Amy would say.

Anyway. I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed seeing you guys!

John Guenter

I thought this was a pretty cool picture of John in Scidmore Park

The Big "TR"

In the park, just off Michigan Avenue and by the fire/police station is a big blue "TR" which, obviously, stands for Three Rivers. I always thought it to be pretty cool.

This is John Guenter and his family in front of the TR on Sunday, August 5.

Suzie Guenter trying to climb the wall in the park in Three Rivers by the rapids on the Rocky River. This is a block from our home.

The Guenter children. JT, Katie, and Suzie. Perfect little angels!

Katie

Katie Guenter. I took this picture at Scidmore Park in Three Rivers by a little stream that runs into the Rocky River behind her. Katie is the daughter of a friend...Johann Guenter.