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Yes, it’s that time of year – St. Nicholas is coming!

No, I don’t mean December 25th.

CHRISTmas is when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday, of course!

I mean the Feast of St. Nicholas, on December 6th.

If you’re interested in what we do, and why we do it, let me direct you back to a few earlier posts on the subject, rather that reinventing the wheel this year (both on this blog and on our earlier family blog, Life on the Road):

• Last year’s post, St. Nicholas is Coming
• Who is this St. Nick guy, anyway?
• Less Presents, More Presence

I was hoping we’d be able to take up an Advent tradition this year… But of course rather than being settled in Biloxi after being here for over a year, instead we’ve moved again. Though still in Biloxi, I’m also still unpacking!

Maybe I can at least make a start of it. Any suggestions?

A Facebook conversation of a week or so ago got me thinking again about the mindset of frugality.

Not just the practice. But where your head is.

I had asked online for a recipe for baked beans. I said my family was used to the canned variety, so I was hoping to find one with a somewhat similar flavor from which to start.

One friend noted that Bush’s doesn’t have HFCS (knowing that would be a key issue for me), and that “cost would only be an issue if you were feeding an army.”

Now, I do understand her point - canned baked beans aren’t very expensive.

But what she said is frighting — essentially that the savings doesn’t matter, because it’s small.

The cost always matters.

I wish I could remember where it was that I first read something that really clarified this for me (maybe one of you can help). I’m pretty sure it was either Everyday Cheapskate (Mary Hunt) or Tightwad Gazette.

She was talking about the dangerous habit that people have of thoughtlessly putting a second “regular” stamp on a letter weighing over an ounce, or putting a letter stamp on a postcard.

It’s a slippery slope, if you do that and casually say, “It doesn’t matter, it’s just a few cents.”

Once you have allowed that mindset to take root, it’s easy for it to spread. A few cents here, a few cents there. A few cents a gallon… which adds up to more than a dollar, but that’s not so bad. A dollar here, a dollar there…

And what about this:

His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
~ Matthew 25:21

My point here is not that canned baked beans are cost prohibitive.

There are times when other considerations do outweigh the cost. Not just in this case, but overall, it may be a question of storage, or convenience, or nutrition, or availability, or a cost trade-off with something else, or preparation costs, or even taste preference.

Today you may choose to put a second regular letter stamp on that heavy card, carefully weighing the fact that a trip to the Post Office will use more gas than that costs, and the fact that the card needs to be mailed immediately so we don’t miss Grandma’s birthday. I have no problem with that. Tell Grandma “Happy Birthday,” and put second-ounce stamps on the shopping list for next time you’re out.

You may not always choose the absolute cheapest option.

But that’s making a choice.

It’s very different than saying it doesn’t matter.

.

(Coin image is from Life Frameworks, a website I know nothing about. Stamp image from USPS.com).

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The Modest Mom

Let me reiterate my intention with this entire Holding Up Our Sign series:

We have had trouble finding a place where we feel comfortable. In many churches, there is a terrific theological alignment, but a disagreement over social and lifestyle issues. In other churches, we fit right in to the social norms, but there are doctrinal differences that we just can’t ignore.

I am attempting to present the ideas from a wide variety of denominations that we have encountered, which we found particularly valuable – or particularly troublesome. This will include any number of churches that we know we would never attend, and it not my intention to recommend them to you wholesale.

We’re piecing together the quilt of our Home Church belief system. You get a ringside seat for the process!

As with other denominations under discussion, I have not done an in-depth study of the various issues here. As I am trying to explain my reasoning here, I hope you will bear with me through any minor errors or incongruities.

Since by and large the mainline Protestant denominations (Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, etc.) are splinters that broke away from the Catholic church during the Reformation, each has retained varying degrees of the Catholic “issues” presented here. In most cases, these are significant enough that they are the “Where We Differ With…” reasons that we do not feel comfortable there. A few other unique issues will be addressed in separate posts.

This post has turned into a fascinating study, as I became enmeshed in a dialogue about some of these issues after asking a Catholic friend to proof-read it.

Talking to her made me realize how unfair a rap Catholicism usually gets. People see something, and judge it – even without understanding it, sometimes even when that requires making up an explanation. Some things that may look “odd” from the outside may be perfectly sensible when they are understood.

I am by no means under the impression that I know or understand everything about Catholicism at this point, but I have endeavored to find out enough to make my views at least somewhat less skewed. This has, in fact, shifted my view on several issues. There’s still a bit of “where we differ” left, though.

Infant Baptism vs. Believer’s Baptism

We believe that baptism is a symbolic action that is taken by an “adult” believer, to demonstrate his commitment to following after Christ. Adult here refers only to the “age of accountability,” which we do not wish to argue here; it is used to differentiate from…

Infant baptism is practiced in the Catholic church, as well as many of the mainline Protestant denominations.

Some of the principles behind the infant baptism ceremony, with which we agree, are taken up in a separate, informal ceremony at many Baptist churches (don’t know about anywhere else) called “Baby Dedication” – which would more properly be “Parental Dedication”. The baby is typically presented with a tiny Bible (symbolic, at that age, but cute), and the parents pledge to raise their child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The Pastor will then pray over all the families taking part, asking the congregation to also take up the community burden of prayer and support for them. [Ed note: Wish people took that "community" part more seriously].

This would be a perfect time to also elect Godparents (as the Catholics do), which seems a most worthwhile institution. Why don’t Baptists do that? Maybe we will…

Anyhow, Catholics will then compare the conscious choice element of Believer’s Baptism to their second Sacrament – Confirmation. The trouble is, however correct the intentions may be, I’ve known enough young “Catholics” to know that this is often not an adult and willful choice, but simlply obedience to their parents and adherence to the routine of church ceremonies that one simply does. This should not be interpreted as a slight towards Catholics, as it is a concern across the board.

But it is, thus, one of the main arguments for holding off on the “choice” portion until a later age. Interestingly, the Amish go further still, with teenagers being encouraged to “see what’s out there” during their Rumschpringe before choosing to take the vows of church membership.

Interestingly, the language used to describe this rite in some Catholic literature (“A sacrament in which the Holy Ghost is given to those already baptized in order to make them strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.”) sounds a lot like the language used by the Pentecostals. Their post is coming.

And still, Scripture over and over uses the language of “believe and repent, and be baptized.”

Believe first.

Then be baptized.

And that’s all.

Intermediary / Intercessor vs. Direct Access; Holiness of Men

We do not agree with the Catholics’ emphasis on praying to various Saints, and of course (especially) to the Virgin Mary.

It is our belief that, while holy and wonderful people, all of them were… well… people. Just men and women. Even Mary.

Although we study and learn about certain “heroes of the faith” – including Mary, and many of the other Catholic Saints, I’m sure – we would never consider praying to any of them.

Jesus is my personal Lord and Savior. Scripture even refers to Him as our Intercessor – our High Priest. We can also pray directly to the Father, as the Lord’s Prayer clearly demonstrates.

So why do I need to pray to some guy, to pray to the Lord for me?

In my experience there is a wide range of Catholic belief and experience in regard to the “personal relationship” aspect. Some Catholics feel, believe, and pray just as your typical Evangelical. But others seem to be caught up in ritual prayers, ritual celebrations, and almost a doctrine of works (although I’m not going to “go there”, since it is not doctrine, this is definitely an issue for many people).

(I adore the scene in We Were Soldiers, when the Catholic Mel Gibson character is saying rote prayers with his children, and the little girl says she wants to “pray to Mommy’s [Protestant] God” so that she can say what she feels.)

The Divinity or Divine Appointment or Divine Connection of the Pope

I’m not sure precisely how most Catholics view the Pope, but this is many degrees removed from anything I could agree with.

Jesus is the head of the Church, and all men are just men. I do not believe – do not see any evidence in Scripture to support the idea – that God reveals His plan to one man and one man only, for dissemination through a Papal Decree.

Although Jesus said he would “build His church upon the Rock (Peter)”, I think you would be hard-pressed to trace the Pope’s current level of power, authority, and ascribed infallibility back to that.

Confession and Penance

I do not find any requirement in Scripture that I confess my sins to another person (not to be confused with the requirement to seek forgiveness from someone you have wronged). Even less does there seem any justification for another man imposing a penalty for my sin (not to be confused with legal penalties).

This is business that is strictly between me and the Lord.

Pomp, Ceremony, and Ritual

This is an area that I think is probably likely to be viewed skewed-ly.

What one person sees as over-the-top, or ritualistic, or self-aggrandizing, another may see as an attempt to honor the Lord through the splendor of worship, and a natural outgrowth of the Lord’s instructions about the temple, the priests, etc. in the Old Testament.

It is my understanding, though, that Christ’s coming abolished the office and traditions of the Levite priesthood. Since we no longer need them to offer sacrifices on our behalf, nor to act as an intermediary between us and Lord, they are no longer necessary.

Thus today’s pastor is a shepherd, and a teacher. An evangelist. But not someone who us approaching the Holy of Holies, and needs to wear glorious garb that sets him apart from the rest of us.

As you may know if you’ve been here long, I do very much agree that the Lord deserves our respect in worship – including dressing up in our best.

So, I do not feel comfortable with the Catholic practice here, if only because it is so easily misconstrued even by the congregation at large.

But I do not find this a horrible offence as it might once have appeared.

Purgatory

My “sola scriptura” conviction is that there is no mention of this in the Scripture, so it is not something in which I believe.

There are possible interpretations ranging from, “absent from the body, present with the Lord,” to the dead in Christ “sleeping” until the appointed hour. But I do not believe that their condition can be improved during this “holding period,” nor that the prayers of the living can effect their condition.

Catholic friends: while I welcome your input, and correction of any fundamental errors I may have made, I do not wish to turn this into a debate. I am unlikely to be converted to Catholicism, and am only trying to explain by comparison the things I believe.

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Faith: I am a Bible Believing, Truth Seeking Baptist

Life Situation: Married nearly 16 years, with 7 childen (#8 is due any time now!). I am a stay-at-home wife and mom, homeschooling my children. We are church-planting missionaries living in Guatemala, Central America, since 2002.

How long have you been dressing modestly? My parents were not really strict about it but did express distaste if I pushed the limit. I guess it’s been about seventeen years since I made the personal decision to dress modestly.

Can you share a little about your journey to modest dress? My manner of dress has gotten progressively more modest over the years. I was kinda chubby when I was a child (and suffered some teasing because of it), but blossomed by the time I reached high school age. I had a nice figure and I knew it. I guess I was a little hungry for the attention, because I would show it off sometimes, violating my own conscience. I knew God was calling me to something greater, and I’d have to give up my self-centered ways. While in college I decided to stop wearing jeans and slacks, because I realized how they showed the form of my body (read: rear-end and thighs). I’ve been wearing dresses and skirts since then.

Through the years, I’ve also considered the modesty of certain types of fabrics, and the cut of certain dresses. Not everything which covers from “here” to “there” is actually modest. Does it cling? Show every curve? Clothing was made (in the beginning) to COVER, not to reveal.

I also came to realize that modesty is more than just covering the body, it is a state of the heart. What are my motives for wearing this today? If it is to draw attention, and catch a man’s eye, to make girlfriends jealous, to show off wealth… these are not modest attitudes.

Thank you for “joining” us today, Tammy!

And be sure to stop by Tammy’s blog, This Pilgrimage, if you’d like to hear more from her.

** ** ** **

Please remember that I am always looking for new ladies to profile for this column. If you or someone you know would be willing to share, please let me know!

I don’t have anything deep and profound to share with you today, but I didn’t feel that that excused me from posting my heartfelt thanks.

Freedom, indeed, is not free.

Our men and women in uniform are brave, selfless people. They have made a choice to stand for what is right.

Even when I disagree with political things that are happening in our country. Even if the cause for which our troops are sent out to fight is misguided or poorly managed.

Even then.

What is a Veteran?
A “Veteran” – whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve – is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check payable to “The United States of America,” for an amount of “up to and including my life.”

(Saw that on Facebook – no attribution)

My father served. My father-in-law served, and his two brothers who also served were both killed in action. My husband served active duty time, and continues in the Reserves. A sweet young man who was family friend served, and gave his life last year in Afghanistan with the Dark Horse Marines. The list goes on.

I am proud, so proud, to be associated with people who will stand in harm’s way to protect my family, my freedoms, and my way of life — and yours.

My gratitude goes out to all the men and women of our armed services – past, present, and future.

And I also especially wish to thank all the military families. Mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and children of service members.

Thank you for letting them go, knowing that they may be called upon to make that ultimate sacrifice.

Thank you for supporting them, encouraging them, praying for them, and “keeping the home fires burning.”

You have sacrificed, too. And it is appreciated.

(The beautiful photo from Free Republic)

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This amazing photograph was taken at Vanderbilt University hospital a few years ago. It was taken during a surgery of a baby in the womb and clearly shows the baby grabbing the finger of the doctor. Indeed, life does begin at conception. And indeed, each life is precious to God.

This is not a political blog.

I typically do not post political issues here. But this is not a political issue. This is a Sanctity of Life issue. This is a matter of speaking for the little ones who cannot speak for themselves.

When we vote tomorrow, there is a little bit of “separating the men from the boys” that will show up from the previously united “Pro-Life” camp.

Let me back up and explain.

Those on the other side of the issue altogether call themselves “Pro Choice.” We, looking at the statistical fact that Planned Parenthood does 99 abortions for every 1 adoption referral, choose to label them with a more accurate “Pro Abortion.”

So over here on our side of the issue, there are a whole bunch of people running around calling themselves “Pro Life.”

But when push comes to shove, and they have a chance to vote for the Personhood Amendment, the truth starts to come out.

They are not going to be “Pro Life” if it inconveniences them. If they can’t use their favorite form of birth control anymore, or dispose of their artificial insemination embryos.

They are, it turns out, only “Anti Abortion”.

There’s actually a pastor that has made a prominent proclamation about how he, naturally “is Pro-Life”, BUT…

Then he gives a bunch of cop-out arguments.

He says, “… but what is fertilization?”

Who are you, Bill Clinton?

Please listen to (watch, but it’s a radio program) Dr. Richard Land discussing Amendment 26. Dr. Land has served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission since 1988 and is an ardent supporter of Amendment 26!

He makes an unassailable case for the beginning of life, and the rightness of the cause. He then goes on to explain the necessary simplicity of 26, and the way our legal and governmental system works – laws will be drafted to codify how this law is implemented, and how each of the various hypothetical situations people raise will be addressed.

I would also encourage you to read An Examination of Mississippi’s Proposition 26 by Steven Wedgeworth. I’m going to give you a few highlights, but I strongly suggest you take a moment to read the post through in its entirety. It is very well-thought-out, very well-written, and a very compelling piece of truth.

First, a bit of definition:

“Personhood” in this conversation is a legal consideration. We are not dealing exclusively with biology or even sociology or psychology. There is a long-standing historical record to testify that slaves were once not considered legal persons. Though they were living, breathing, and thinking human beings, they were nevertheless not legal persons. This changed in America over time, and the change in the point of view was clearly influenced by moral, religious, and philosophical concerns. Even trickier is that fact that, today, Walmart is considered a legal person! It is important to remember that Prop. 26 is concerned with “person” as used in the MS bill of rights.

He clearly states the response to the very sorts of points I was discussing above. This, simply put, is where the rubber meets the road:

The fact that Prop. 26 might have implications on other areas of life is not unimportant, but those implications are not themselves enough to settle the issue. One really ought to decide whether or not he agrees with the assertion of Prop. 26 first, and then he may examine the implications. After all, if an entity is a person, then the fact that its rights might conflict with yours is simply a reality.

Complicated legal situations may arise when the rights of multiple persons come into tension with one another. This is true already, and Prop. 26 is actually not adding to this complexity at all because those issues already exist and personhood is currently undefined. Any possible “difficult case” that I’ve heard as an argument against Prop. 26 can still exist without Prop. 26. Prop. 26 does not create those difficult cases.

Further, it would seem to me that the proper way to move forward regarding legal conundra is not to deny personhood to one of the parties involved, but rather to continue the conversation, adding relevant clarifications and protections for the specific situations. Prop. 26 would not settle all or even any of these difficult scenarios. We would still need to discuss power of attorney, as well as the State’s duty to protect. But we must do that anyway.

And a tidbit about Roe. I had no idea!

Roe v. Wade actually has some insane logic on precisely this point. It says that, since it is unclear when life begins, it will decide to protect the mother’s rights up to a certain point in development and then after that point, it will protect the rights of the child in the womb. This is law by coin flip. In no sane universe does it make sense to settle a genuine legal dilemma by denying personhood to one of the two parties. We should either explore ways to respect the rights of all persons or clearly express our principles for limiting one party’s rights in a given scenario. In no case is it sufficient to simply deny personhood.

Well said! Thank you, Mr. Wedgeworth!!

And, additionally, for those who suggest that we Vote No and go back to re-write and clarify – although those concerns are amply debunked by both Dr. Land and Mr. Wedgeworth – one more item to consider:

I was initially not very motivated to participate in this discussion because I saw Prop. 26 as overly limited (exactly the opposite of its critics’ claims). However, witnessing and participating in a few recent conversations has proven to me that more than the specifics of Prop. 26 are actually at stake. Rather this is a strategic opportunity to state and clarify pro-Life principles as well as a consistent Christian legal thought. And if the national media is any trustworthy guide, Prop. 26 will be influential upon future legal decisions across the US.

Please go to your polling place tomorrow, and vote for LIFE. Go, even if you do not cast a vote on any other office or issue!