JOLLYBLOGGER

Beauty in the Face of Agony

This is one of the most moving photojournalist essays I have ever seen.  It's the story of Katie Kirkpatrick Godwin and her husband Nick.  Katie battled cancer for three years and died at 21.  But Nick was determined to marry Katie, his high school sweetheart.  So, in the midst of Katie's pain and fatigue from the chemo Nick and Katie were married, and five days later Katie died.  This is just a great picture(s) of how beauty and joy can be found in the midst of the greatest agony.

HT - Kottke

T. David Gordon on Moralistic vs. Christological Preaching

I have committed myself to Christological preaching, but one of the pushbacks on Christological preaching, at least as I practice it, is that it is not practical enough.  The standard preaching advice for many has been that each sermon should include or conclude with practical applications of the text.

I agree with this in a sense, but "practical" often takes the form of a "to-do" list, a series of actions we must take to "apply" the text.  The problem with this is that it seems to me to render the gospel null and void.  Our response to the gospel is always that of repentance and faith, not action.  We do not "do" something to apply the gospel, the gospel "does" something to us.  Thus I have been very cautious in offering "to-do" lists from texts.

On the other hand I am aware that the Bible is full of commands that demand obedience.  Yet, while acknowledging that, I am still left with the Colossians 2:20-23 conundrum.

20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:  21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?  22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.  23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

In other words, telling people what to do and not do has little or no value in getting them to do or not do what they should or shouldn't do.  This doesn't mean there aren't things we should and shouldn't do, but do's and don'ts won't get it done. 

So how do we resolve this conundrum?  T. David Gordon in his book Why Johnny Can't Preach offers some "practical" thoughts:

I know that there are those who are terribly afraid that such Christ-centered preaching will lead to licentiousness; but I categoricaly deny it. I've witnessed with my own eyes the difference between believers who suffer through moralistic preaching and those who experience Christological preaching.  The former are never as strong or vibrant in their Christian discipleship as the latter.  In theory, we all say we believe, for instance, that good works are the "inevitable" fruit of saving faith.  I not only say this; I believe it.

I believe that as people's confidence in Christ goes they do, ordinarily and inevitably, bear fruit that accords with faith.  Thus, there is no need for some trade-off here, or some alleged dichotomy suggesting that we need to preach morality if we are to have morality.  No; preach Christ and you will have morality.  Fill the sails of your hearers' souls with the wind of confidence in the Redeemer, and tey will trust him as their Sanctifier, and long to see his fruit in their lives.  Fill their minds and imaginations with a vision of the loveliness and perfection of Christ in his person, and the flock will long to be like him.  Impress upon their weak and wavering hearts the utter competence of the mediation of the One who ever lives to make intercession for them, and they will long to serve and comfort others, even as Christ has served and comforted them.

Health Update 4-2-09

Here's the latest news on my health. 

I had a CT Scan this past Monday and the results are that all of the large tumors that they are monitoring have shrunk about 50-60%.  So the treatment is working - praise and thanks to God and thanks to all of you who have prayed and encouraged me. 

The doc said that for 20% of people, they can do nothing.  For another percentage of folks, they are able to treat and stop the growth of the tumor(s), thus keeping it stable.  For another percentage they are able to shrink the tumor some and for a smaller percentage the tumors go away completely.  I asked the doc if I could reasonably hope to see these tumors go away and he said yes.  Of course, my hope is in Christ, but it was good to hear the doctor say this. 

What this means for the short term is that nothing changes in the treatment.  I'll continue this course of chemotherapy, probably for another three months at least, or until the tumors go away.  So, for those of you who are local, you can expect to see a smile on my face about this news, but don't look to see me dancing in the streets any tme soon.  With the chemo going on I'm pretty exhausted and the exhaustion seems to be lasting longer with each treatment.  But knowing that the treatment is working will help keep my spirits up when I can't get my body up and out of bed. 

The good news in all of this is that I have been telling them that I want to go to our General Assembly in Orlando this June and the doctor and the nurse who is administering the clinical trial I am are thinking that's a possibility.  They are doing some finagling to see if they can work the treatment schedule around that.  The main issues on that, as far as I can tell, are that we could break momentum and secondly it could affect my standing in the clinical trial.  With the trial you have to do everything just so or they kick you out of it.  I don't want to leave the trial because I get closer monitoring in it and also they pay for some of the meds and scans, which will help with the insurance.  Don't know if you know this, but insurance companies have a lifetime limit of something like a million or two, and I am a prime candidate to exhaust this, so it's good to have some of my meds taken care of.  

But, all that aside, I'm optimistic I'll get to Orlando this summer so I'm looking forward to seeing all of my PCA brethren and also having a reunion with some of my old friends from college who live in the Orlando area. 

As far as what this means long term it's hard to tell.  I hope this doesn't put a damper on the good news of today, but with this kind of cancer they don't use words like "cure" or "remission."   The kind of cancer I have evidently rears its head again and again.   The doc thinks I'll probably have to have some kind of treatment every year.  If the tumors go away they call that "complete response."   If that happens then I'll just go see the doctor every month or so and I guess they'll just do blood tests or scans every so often to see if it comes back, then treat it when it does. 

I'm optimistic about the future though, but this knowledge is a good thing for me in reminding me to live according to Matthew 6:34 and not worry about tomorrow's troubles.  I don't presume to know the ways of God in this.  I have often thought of the fact that Lance Armstrong got a very deadly cancer and has now lived nearly a decade cancer free.  James Montgomery Boice, on the other hand contracted cancer and died soon after.  Although Lance is an inspiration to all of us who have cancer, I think that Boice had a more necessary message for the world, yet God chose to take Him.  Though I hope to live many more years, God doesn't owe me a long life but I owe Him my devotion each day of my life.  So that's the frame of mind I'm trying to cultivate on a consistent basis. 

So, I'm doing my best to enjoy the day and let God worry about the future and the days are indeed good.  While you are praying for me please don't forget to pray for my family in general and Lynette in particular.  She bears the biggest brunt of all this.  Although I'm not terribly difficult to deal with (though I have my moments) I also don't have the energy to do a lot of the fun things we would ordinarily like to do. 

Thanks again for all of your prayers and love. 

The Blessing of Sickness from Spurgeon

I found this from Spurgeon today on Steve McKoy's blog - Reformissionary: 

I dare say the greatest earthly blessing that God can give to any of us is health, with the exception of sickness ... If some men, that I know of could only be favoured with a month of rheumatism, it would, by God's grace mellow them marvelously.

BTW - I see my doc tomorrow and plan to give you a health update after I get a full report on my recent CT Scan.  But, hint, hint, the news is good.  Those of you who have read my Facebook already know . . . but I'll wait till I have more details before posting here. 

Still, I couldn't agree more with what Spurgeon says here - God has done things through my cancer that nothing else ever has or could.