Goodbye Summer,
You sure went by fast.
Today is our last day of summer. We seized the day! I got up and made the family pancakes & eggs which we enjoyed with blueberries. Then we went to the Botanical Gardens and had a nice stroll through the park. Waterfalls, pretty flowers, and a nice summer breeze all had a calming affect on me. After that we came home, ate a quick (small) lunch and all rested. I did a few chores this afternoon to get my house ready for the semester (ya know, when am I going to have time to dust everything in my house again? Probably December!). I even cleaned out and organized my closet. That is first time my closet has been organized since I moved in to this apartment... oh that is just shameful to admit! I have organized & reorganized Hunter's closet at least three times, but never got around to doing mine until today! Hopefully it will stay organized through the semester... we'll see?!?!
This evening I made a pizza with Trader Joe's pizza dough. I topped it with pineapple, spinach, and tomato. It was tasty!!!! We had that with broccoli. After dinner we took Hunter out to the playground and had a wonderful time on the swings. Hunter has mastered what my parent's called the "four-wheel drive crawl" where you crawl with your hands and feet. He does this now on any surface that is too hard on his knees like asphalt or on the wood chips at the playground. It is sooo funny! Hopefully soon he will decide that walking is better than that weird crawl! But for now, he is a fast little guy on his hands and feet! He was soooo determined to crawl UP the slide. And he did (with a little help from mommy) and he was very proud of himself!
Summer has been quite eventful... I completed 6 hours and Josh completed 3. Josh was able to work a lot & we had some fun family time. We got to spend time with family & enjoy seeing my brother get married. We had some fun visitors including family. We got more adjusted to St. Louis life. We aren't sure we feel rested enough to be starting a new semester. Sorta feels like summer was a blur.
But now it is time for semester two. I will be taking 9 hours and Josh will be taking 15. Josh will be working 10 hours on campus per week & drilling 1 weekend per month. We are very excited to see what God has in store for us this semester. I feel very privileged to be here at Covenant. I am nervous about starting my program tomorrow, but also very excited.
Hello Fall,
Please be kind to us!
Showing posts with label Covenant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Covenant. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
summer reading
When I haven't been traveling or taking care of a sick child this summer, I have filled my time with a lot of reading. I took 2 courses for a total of 6 credit hours. For these two classes I was assigned 11 books to read and parts of 2 others. Woah! Talk about overwhelming! Surprisingly, I have really enjoyed most all of the reading.
My favorite is between Through His Eyes by Jerram Barrs or The Bible and the Future by Anthony Hoekema. The first is about what the Bible says about women and how God views them. It was written by the professor of one of the class and is a good summary of what we learned. Each chapter has study questions so this book would be perfect for a Bible study either for individuals or a small group.
The Hoekema book is about eschatology, which means the doctrine about what is going to happen at the end of time. I have really enjoyed learning the theology of the kingdom of God and what happens to people when they die. It is very technical, so it takes time to dig through, but it is worth it. I recommend this to anyone who has questions about these topics and is willing to think deeply.
Though it has been a lot to manage and balance, I am really thankful that I am able to learn so much. It is fun to talk to Josh about what I am learning. I feel so blessed to be at this school. God has provided a lot for both of us to be able to be in grad school.
My favorite is between Through His Eyes by Jerram Barrs or The Bible and the Future by Anthony Hoekema. The first is about what the Bible says about women and how God views them. It was written by the professor of one of the class and is a good summary of what we learned. Each chapter has study questions so this book would be perfect for a Bible study either for individuals or a small group.
The Hoekema book is about eschatology, which means the doctrine about what is going to happen at the end of time. I have really enjoyed learning the theology of the kingdom of God and what happens to people when they die. It is very technical, so it takes time to dig through, but it is worth it. I recommend this to anyone who has questions about these topics and is willing to think deeply.
Though it has been a lot to manage and balance, I am really thankful that I am able to learn so much. It is fun to talk to Josh about what I am learning. I feel so blessed to be at this school. God has provided a lot for both of us to be able to be in grad school.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Hymnody
Josh & I took a weekend class this semester called 'The History of Hymnody.' It was taught by Kevin Twit, the director of Indelible Grace Music. We are both huge fans of their work. They take old hymns and re-work the music to make them more modern and add more instruments.
The class was amazing. But this week, we have had to do the work to get the credit for the class.... not so amazing! It has been a lot of work. One of our assignments was to pick a hymn and write an 8-10 page paper on every aspect of the hymn from the author, to the time it was written, to deep exposition of every verse. Here is the hymn I wrote about:
With tearful eyes I look around;
Life seems a dark and stormy sea;
Yet, midst the gloom, I hear a sound,
A heavenly whisper, “Come to Me.”
It tells me of a place of rest;
It tells me where my soul may flee:
O to the weary, faint, oppressed,
How sweet the bidding, “Come to Me.”
When the poor heart with anguish learns
That earthly props resigned must be,
And from each broken cistern turns,
It hears the accents, “Come to Me.”
When against sin I strive in vain,
And cannot from its yoke get free,
Sinking beneath the heavy chain,
The words arrest me, “Come to Me.”
When nature shudders, loath to part
From all I love, enjoy, and see;
When a faint chill steals o’er my heart,
A sweet voice utters, “Come to Me.”
“Come, for all else must fall and die;
Earth is no resting-place for thee;
Heavenward direct thy weeping eye,
I am thy Portion; come to Me.”
O voice of mercy! voice of love!
In conflict, grief, and agony,
Support me, cheer me from above,
And gently whisper, “Come to Me.”
Beautiful hymn, by an inspiring woman. This hymn is a picture of the Gospel. Charlotte Elliott had a wonderful gift of exposing her emotions to the Lord in exemplary verse and then applying the Gospel to her very situation. Elliott shows that the Gospel is necessary for both the unbeliever and the believer. The Gospel is enough. God truly is our portion and gently whispers “Come to Me” to all his children, just as they are, with no need to pretty themselves or hide their true selves. Elliott shows us that it is in honesty and brokenness we are able to receive God and experience His presence.
The class was amazing. But this week, we have had to do the work to get the credit for the class.... not so amazing! It has been a lot of work. One of our assignments was to pick a hymn and write an 8-10 page paper on every aspect of the hymn from the author, to the time it was written, to deep exposition of every verse. Here is the hymn I wrote about:
With tearful eyes I look around;
Life seems a dark and stormy sea;
Yet, midst the gloom, I hear a sound,
A heavenly whisper, “Come to Me.”
It tells me of a place of rest;
It tells me where my soul may flee:
O to the weary, faint, oppressed,
How sweet the bidding, “Come to Me.”
When the poor heart with anguish learns
That earthly props resigned must be,
And from each broken cistern turns,
It hears the accents, “Come to Me.”
When against sin I strive in vain,
And cannot from its yoke get free,
Sinking beneath the heavy chain,
The words arrest me, “Come to Me.”
When nature shudders, loath to part
From all I love, enjoy, and see;
When a faint chill steals o’er my heart,
A sweet voice utters, “Come to Me.”
“Come, for all else must fall and die;
Earth is no resting-place for thee;
Heavenward direct thy weeping eye,
I am thy Portion; come to Me.”
O voice of mercy! voice of love!
In conflict, grief, and agony,
Support me, cheer me from above,
And gently whisper, “Come to Me.”
Beautiful hymn, by an inspiring woman. This hymn is a picture of the Gospel. Charlotte Elliott had a wonderful gift of exposing her emotions to the Lord in exemplary verse and then applying the Gospel to her very situation. Elliott shows that the Gospel is necessary for both the unbeliever and the believer. The Gospel is enough. God truly is our portion and gently whispers “Come to Me” to all his children, just as they are, with no need to pretty themselves or hide their true selves. Elliott shows us that it is in honesty and brokenness we are able to receive God and experience His presence.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Covenant
Covenant. It is a word that has been going through my mind a lot lately, for several reasons.
First, it is the name of the seminary my husband and I are going to be attending very soon. Covenant Theological Seminary. Check it out. I am sooooo excited and also a little nervous. We are going to pack up our stuff here, leave our beautiful home and great friends, and move to St. Louis. Josh will begin work toward a Master’s of Divinity and I will begin work toward a Master’s of Counseling, Lord willing, starting in January. Big life changes here in the Hammans family.
Second, and more importantly, Covenant is the word used to describe the promises God makes His people. Since the Garden of Eden, God has made Covenants with His people, each one progressively revealing more and more of His character. God has not only made covenants with Himself and man, He has fulfilled them. This is referred to as “Covenant Theology” and it is something I am still coming to understand. (Another reason I am excited to go to seminary.)
We are having Hunter baptized on Sunday. To be honest, this baptism has been a difficult decision for me. I did not grow up in a denomination that practiced infant baptism. I never understood it, and in my ignorance I assumed infant baptism was a lot of things that it really isn’t. We have taken our choice to baptize Hunter very seriously and I want to share why we have decided to go ahead with infant baptism.
This brings me back to the word covenant. In the Old Testament, believers were given the sign of circumcision. Beginning with Abraham, (Gen. 17:11) God used circumcision as an outward sign of the relationship he had with His children. God promised Abraham that He would be His God and be the God of his descendants after Him. In the very next verse, God commands that every infant born into Abraham’s family be circumcised on the 8th day as a sign of the “everlasting covenant” between God and Abraham. Clearly, the sign of God’s promise was for even the young babies.
Since Jesus’ life on Earth and death on the cross, baptism has become the new sign of the covenant. Just as animal sacrifices are no longer needed because Jesus fulfilled the need for sacrifices, baptism has taken the place of circumcision to symbolize cleanliness and being set a part by God. In Colossians 2, Paul talks about a “circumcision not of hands” but of baptism. In the New Testament and now, baptism is a sign of the covenant.
All throughout the Bible, we see God dealing with His children through their families. For example, because of Noah’s favor in the eyes of the Lord, his entire family was spared in the flood. Psalm 103:17 says, “But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children.”
We can see that baptism is a sign of being set apart by God due to His covenant with his people and that God deals with people through their families. Baptism is not salvation, nor does it guarantee salvation, no matter what age the person is who is being baptized. When we baptize Hunter on Sunday, it will not represent salvation in any way. It will be a sign that Hunter is under God’s headship, just as circumcision was a sign to the Jews. We view Hunter as under the covenant of the Lord because Josh and I represent Hunter in his infancy and we are under the covenant. On Sunday, we are entering into a covenant with God to raise Hunter in the ways of the Lord.
We will answer the following questions:
1. Do you acknowledge your child’s need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?
2. Do you claim God’s covenant promises in his behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation, as you do for your own?
3. Do you now unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before him a godly example, that you will pray with and for him, that you will teach him the doctrines of our holy religion, and that you will strive, by all the means of God’s appointment, to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?
And the congregation will answer:
Do you as a congregation undertake the responsibility of assisting the parents in the Christian nurture of this child?
Pretty serious promises we are entering into. I am so excited to give Hunter the sign of God’s covenant and do longingly look toward the day when Hunter will place his trust in the Lord. This baptism is a sign of God’s future promise for my son. What an incredible blessing and responsibility the Lord has given parents. I feel the weight of it as I type this, yet I know that it is not me that will save my son, nor can I look to myself for my own salvation. God does all the work and all that is required of me is faith. What a mighty, awesome God we serve.
I am hoping to get the baptism taped and will post that here afterward.
This post is really long. Thanks for getting through it. I am glad to be able to share what I have been learning!
First, it is the name of the seminary my husband and I are going to be attending very soon. Covenant Theological Seminary. Check it out. I am sooooo excited and also a little nervous. We are going to pack up our stuff here, leave our beautiful home and great friends, and move to St. Louis. Josh will begin work toward a Master’s of Divinity and I will begin work toward a Master’s of Counseling, Lord willing, starting in January. Big life changes here in the Hammans family.
Second, and more importantly, Covenant is the word used to describe the promises God makes His people. Since the Garden of Eden, God has made Covenants with His people, each one progressively revealing more and more of His character. God has not only made covenants with Himself and man, He has fulfilled them. This is referred to as “Covenant Theology” and it is something I am still coming to understand. (Another reason I am excited to go to seminary.)
We are having Hunter baptized on Sunday. To be honest, this baptism has been a difficult decision for me. I did not grow up in a denomination that practiced infant baptism. I never understood it, and in my ignorance I assumed infant baptism was a lot of things that it really isn’t. We have taken our choice to baptize Hunter very seriously and I want to share why we have decided to go ahead with infant baptism.
This brings me back to the word covenant. In the Old Testament, believers were given the sign of circumcision. Beginning with Abraham, (Gen. 17:11) God used circumcision as an outward sign of the relationship he had with His children. God promised Abraham that He would be His God and be the God of his descendants after Him. In the very next verse, God commands that every infant born into Abraham’s family be circumcised on the 8th day as a sign of the “everlasting covenant” between God and Abraham. Clearly, the sign of God’s promise was for even the young babies.
Since Jesus’ life on Earth and death on the cross, baptism has become the new sign of the covenant. Just as animal sacrifices are no longer needed because Jesus fulfilled the need for sacrifices, baptism has taken the place of circumcision to symbolize cleanliness and being set a part by God. In Colossians 2, Paul talks about a “circumcision not of hands” but of baptism. In the New Testament and now, baptism is a sign of the covenant.
All throughout the Bible, we see God dealing with His children through their families. For example, because of Noah’s favor in the eyes of the Lord, his entire family was spared in the flood. Psalm 103:17 says, “But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children.”
We can see that baptism is a sign of being set apart by God due to His covenant with his people and that God deals with people through their families. Baptism is not salvation, nor does it guarantee salvation, no matter what age the person is who is being baptized. When we baptize Hunter on Sunday, it will not represent salvation in any way. It will be a sign that Hunter is under God’s headship, just as circumcision was a sign to the Jews. We view Hunter as under the covenant of the Lord because Josh and I represent Hunter in his infancy and we are under the covenant. On Sunday, we are entering into a covenant with God to raise Hunter in the ways of the Lord.
We will answer the following questions:
1. Do you acknowledge your child’s need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?
2. Do you claim God’s covenant promises in his behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation, as you do for your own?
3. Do you now unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before him a godly example, that you will pray with and for him, that you will teach him the doctrines of our holy religion, and that you will strive, by all the means of God’s appointment, to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?
And the congregation will answer:
Do you as a congregation undertake the responsibility of assisting the parents in the Christian nurture of this child?
Pretty serious promises we are entering into. I am so excited to give Hunter the sign of God’s covenant and do longingly look toward the day when Hunter will place his trust in the Lord. This baptism is a sign of God’s future promise for my son. What an incredible blessing and responsibility the Lord has given parents. I feel the weight of it as I type this, yet I know that it is not me that will save my son, nor can I look to myself for my own salvation. God does all the work and all that is required of me is faith. What a mighty, awesome God we serve.
I am hoping to get the baptism taped and will post that here afterward.
This post is really long. Thanks for getting through it. I am glad to be able to share what I have been learning!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
