A Breath of History and Fresh Air

We made a visit to Historic Fort Snelling, but it was closed. So we went for a great walk, enjoy the pics...

Photo Shoot

(and 2 tons of Cuteness)

No commentary necessary, just the fruit of a rainy day:

Of Vacations and Watermelons...

So, we were at the doctor the other day and she said my little buddy weighs more than a watermelon. OK, she actually said that he's 15.8 lbs. but the grocery store flyer said their watermelons were only 15 lbs. Here's some pics from our recent vacation in Michigan...

A Night of Power

As the season of Ramadan comes towards a close, my prayers only intensify. The 27th night of this Muslim holy month is a special time of prayer and spiritual fervor. It is believed that a prayer offered on this occasion is worth many times its individual merit. This is the anniversary of the initial revelation of the first verses of the Qur'an. Thus, a special night of power!

Yet in prayer and in witness we are not without power. Jesus the Messiah said that he was going away in order to send the Blessed Holy Spirit. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the end of the earth!" (Acts 1:8) Power...no wonder we're commanded "be filled with the Holy Spirit." (Eph. 5:18)

Pray that this power would come over all the Church afresh these days - power for a ministry of fervent intercession, power for a ministry of loving witness, power for a ministry of grace-filled deeds of kindness. Oh, Holy Spirit of God, fall afresh on us!

Grace & Truth

From “30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World” - “In settings of friendship and trust, [engage] the truth claims made within the Qur’an itself and for the Qur’am by Muslims. Blithely nodding or smiling when Muslims make truth claims that go against the clear message of the Gospel shows neither respect nor love. Love goes the distance with our friends in taking a firm stand and making our best case for the saving truth.” (http://www.30-days.net/)

I was struck by this sentence today. How indifferent have we become to all kinds of people in our society and around the world using the Lord’s name in vain, making degrading statements about His Holy Word, and rejecting the beautiful news of the Gospel. “Blithely” is a good description - “showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous.” Have I grown callous to the rejection of God’s Word? Have I become casually indifferent to disbelief in God? It should hit me like a thunderbolt every-time!! What did I just read this morning, “I am Yahweh, and there is no other, besides me there is no God...I am Yahweh, and there is no other...I am Yahweh, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7; for Yahweh try inserting “he who causes to be”, one possible translation of the Holy Name)

But more than shock and awe it should cause passion for the truth to rise in my heart and compassion for the speaker to temper my response. Do we serve the risen King or not? Does he truly rule this world or not? Will he come again one day and vindicate this insolence and indifference towards his holiness or not? What do we believe! And yet, did not our Lord bear such shameful reproach on the cross, our shameful reproach? Has he not called us, former enemies, sons and daughters of God? Oh, there must be love and respect in our speech and conduct but always rooted in the truth, and a passion that this truth be known and rejoiced in just as we do day by day. Father, draw many Muslims to a right understanding of your Son, Isa al-Masih, in these their holy days by the powerful wind of your Spirit and unchanging truth of your Word. Through His name we ask it, AMEN.

LEARN - “...the good hand of God was on him for Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of Yahweh, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” (Ezra 7:9-10) The core of all we’re studying here at BCS is God’s Word. Whether that’s through reading Jonathan Edwards or learning Biblical Hebrew and Greek, our labor is in going deeper into the word of God. The biblical languages are forming a foundation for every class we take with the hope that when we graduate we’ll possess such a humble proficiency in them that they’ll serve as a foundation in whatever ministry to which God calls us.

SERVE - In John 13, before Jesus instituted the supper of the New Covenant and then went to the cross to accomplish it, he took up a towel and washed his disciples’ feet. One friend in my cohort pray regularly before class, especially our language classes, which can seem “impractical” at times, “Lord, make this study of Hebrew/Greek a labor of love for the people we'll serve someday.” For now we view our studies through this lens of service, for ultimately these are not to gain knowledge that puffs up, but skills and training that will allow us to then serve God’s people around the world.

TREASURE - “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the Law of the Lord...” (Psalm 1:1-2) Whoever might be credited with organizing the Psalter put this psalm first and this though is to govern our reading of the whole book. Delight in God’s Word, it’s not enough to simply learn and even live out unless there is a heartfelt affection for the things contained in God’s word. Chiefly is this, “rejoice in the Lord always!” (Phil. 4:4) We delight in the gift of God’s Word for in it we encounter His glory and His gospel.

OMNIA IN CHRISTO CONSTANT - “...in Christ all things hold together...” (Col. 1:17) The latin translation from this hymn in Colossians is a fitting banner to fly over our school. In the end it is not education we seek, nor practical skills, nor financial stability and security, nor ministerial prestige and power, nor a reputation and writings that last through the ages...we seek Christ! As has been said, he is the blazing center, like a sun in a solar system. “For from him, and to him, and through him are all things! To him be glory forever, AMEN.” (Rom. 11:36)

Allahu Akbar! (God is Great!) Jesus is Lord!

Around the world this morning billions of people are beginning a grueling 30-day spiritual exercise: abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. The aim of such a fast is to display one’s devotion to God, perhaps earning merit in his sight, and to proclaim to one’s-self that indeed you are a Muslim (one submitted to God).

During these intense days of spiritual activity may our walk with Christ be all more rich. Lest we forget, we pray not 5 times a day but without ceasing in constant communion. Lest we forget, we pray not towards a location on earth but to our Father in heaven who is so merciful to hear us. Lest we forget, we seek not our own merit in prayer but rest upon the perfect merit of Christ that comes through his death and resurrection. Lest we forget, we fast not to be seen by others but to because the Bridegroom has gone and we await his return - this is not our home!

And yet, we have the very Holy Spirit of God in our hearts and in our midst. May He be pleased to fill us afresh these days with a spirit of intercession, with a gladness in the greatness of Jesus Christ, and with a hope that cannot be broken...come pain, hardship, persecution, even death. Our God is Greater, Jesus is Lord!

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ... (Nothing can) separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!" (Rom. 8:21-32,39)

The Baby Mirror

Six weeks today Benaiah was born, and it's been quite a ride! A lot's happened in that little window of time. We had wonderful host of visitors coming in and out of our home - the support and love has been an overwhelming picture of God's grace. During those weeks I also began and am about to finish my summer intensive in Hebrew grammar. Rachel went back to work last week and began getting things in order. Much to her dismay, the new owners of her hotel finally told her that they had hired someone else to do her job...so now we're job hunting. (Rachel has managed to pick up a 30 hour teaching load at the swim school for the fall, praise God!)

But more than all those events, we've been learning...a lot! We've been learning some of what it takes to be parents. We've been learning about babies. We've been learning the most about ourselves, though.

Babies, when you're not just borrowing them for an hour or two, can show you a lot about yourself, kind of like a mirror. But like a mirror, they show you everything, good and bad! I've seen my own impatience come out, my desire to be in control, my frustration over set-backs. I've seen us begin to establish a rhythm for our lives, my ability to change my priorities in an instant, my Father's patience and kindness toward me. In all of this I've seen more clearly my need for God's grace at every moment of the day.

"As a Father shows compassion to his children, so Yahweh shows compassion to those who fear him." - Ps. 103:13

Grandparents, Welcome to the Club!

What would the world do without Skype? Well, for one thing there would be 4 disappointed new grandparents! Benaiah's became a skype star before he even left the hospital and now his show airs weekly at unpublished times over the weekend.

It's hard to believe that any of these folks are grandparents, huh? They certainly don't look it :-)

A Walk in the Park

The clamor for more pictures has been astounding! Benaiah fever has swept the nation! The editors of this blog felt that we had to do something to answer this massive surge in popularity. Hence we've decided that from time to time we'll just post pictures, lots of really, really, really cute pictures :-)

Wee Hour Walks and Meditation

In the freshness of this new development in out lives I've been soaking in all the richness of the Biblical imagery of birth and babies. In the grind of the coming months this might wear off but something in me doesn't want to lose the child-like wonder of experiencing a child!

So, this morning at 3:00am Benaiah decided he was done sleeping. In those early hours of father-son time I had a lot of silence and a lot of time to think over the past few days and my past years of spiritual life. Oh, how little this baby understands about the world, about what's good for him and what's not, about who I am as his father. How little this baby is able to do...almost nothing. How little this baby is able to communicate, nothing more than a cry.

Lest I think too highly of myself, or any of us, what an amazing picture this is for us to wrap our earthly minds around:

-How much higher is God's understanding than ours! Benaiah doesn't even know what a building is let alone that he lives on the fifth floor of an apartment complex in Elliot Park, Minneapolis. How small is my understanding compared to the Father's!

-How much greater is his ability than ours! Benaiah can't even roll over and barely is able to move his head, let alone care for himself and make a contribution to the greater society that bustles around him daily. How small is my ability compared to the Maker of all things!

-How much superior is his speech than ours! Benaiah has two cries right now - the "I want attention" cry, and the "Whatever you're doing to me I don't like it" cry. As I held him this morning I was reading from a 3000 year old book written and meticulously passed down through the ages. How small is my speech compared to the Author's speech which in speaking makes things be!

If only it didn't take such a traumatic, life-upsetting course of events to allow me to see that "the heavens declare the glory of God..."

Looking with new eyes, Marcus

What's in a Name

Benaiah - You might recognize part of the name ("Yah") as coming from the God's covenant name in the Old Testament, Yahweh. Many names within God's covenant people bore His name in a small sense: (say them aloud) Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah, Hezekiah, Joshua, etc... All of these names for individuals also said something about God! Such is the case with Benaiah and the reason we found it fitting for a first-born. The other part of his name comes from the Hebrew word "banah" which means to build or be built. Thus the combination of "banah" and "Yah" into Benaiah comes out as something like "Yah has built up" or "built by Yah". This was actually a pretty common name in Old Testament times but the most famous Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was one of David's mighty men and the general of Solomon's armies (2 Sam. 23:20-22)

Around the block today, 26.2 tomorrow!

Picture Speak Louder Than Words (sometimes :-)

Big Boy Benaiah!

Happy Mommy, amazing how make-up and a shower help you feel better!

The Leman Family (Minneapolis)

Meet Our Son!

This morning at 2:05 AM our first son was born - Benaiah Jeffrey Leman (8lbs/12ozs - 21 1/2 inches). His name means "God builds up" which we thought fitting for a firstborn. (though we didn't know it was a boy until he arrived)

It was a grueling 25 hours of labor but mommy Rachel is doing good and very happy. Benaiah's a good sleeper and even let us get a few hours of rest this morning. Rachel's parents are here to help us through the next few days and I'm sure we'll have many more guests after that :-) Thanks for your love and support, we'll continue to need it.

Marcus (for Rachel and Benaiah)

Horticultural Insights (pt.2)

Last week I met a tree. Walking through this arboretum a note by its roots read "Casaurina Equisetifolia - 100 years old". Who kept track of that? When other of its larger cousins were being hewn down and harvested, someone cared for this plant, watered it, trimmed and cleaned... Who did that? I wonder what they looked like... Did they smile a lot? What did the like to eat for breakfast? Could they run like the wind or were they confined to a wheelchair? I'll never know. All I know is that they loved this tree. They loved it, cared for it, and passed it on to someone else who would do the same.

"Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." -Moses

Most of us won't be remembered long after we're gone. Family and friends may crack open a photo album from time to time and tell stories. Maybe they'll remember my smile, maybe they won't. But if they can look at my effect on the world around and know I loved Jesus, that will be good indeed. Maybe it will be a person they see, or a group of people. Maybe it will be where I put my money, all that non-necessity money. Maybe it will be an investment of hours week in and week out, or maybe just thirty seconds later today. Maybe it will be in a note I write, or something I say. Whatever it is, will it last, will it point the to God? In fact, it doesn't even matter so much that they know "I" loved Jesus but that Jesus is worth loving because someone devoted a life to it. 27 years and counting...

Whoever planted that Horsetail Tree is long since gone and now a second generation of caretakers is ticking off the days, maybe a third. Do they love trees? We'll see.

Horticultural Insights (pt.1)

Yesterday I met a plant. The brilliant blue of this blossom only shows its face for a few hours... and then it dies. "What a waste!" (we say) "Why would God create such a short lived beauty?" The Ohio Spiderwort, as botanists have named it, is God's gift to all humans to stop and consider the length of our days. Some wise-man once made the observation, "as for man, his days are like grass; as the flower of the field so he flourishes, and the wind passes over it and it is gone."

If we want to be a little less man-centered think about this: every Spiderwort that ever bloomed in every wild-meadow of this tiny earth bloomed to declare the glory of God for God's pleasure first and foremost... only after that to men and angels partake in this festivity. Hundreds of people walked past this Spiderwort yesterday. Did anyone notice it's fragile progress towards explosive beauty and death? God did, and he saw it blossom today though I couldn't be there. But yesterday I heard its story, saw His art, and worshiped.

Reflections Nearing Fatherhood

I’ve been given cause lately to think about parenting, specifically fatherhood because in God’s design that is my coming charge. (T+1 day) God has given fathers the charge of leading and their own household, to provide and protect what is under their care. And this is hugely important because a father isn’t just “Dad”, a father is a role model for both sons and daughters, a father is both a friend and an authority, a father is leader who does so through service, a father is strong and yet knows how to be gentle, a father is courageous but also knows how to cry, a father doesn’t rule for his own comfort but for the good of all those under his care, a father blesses and builds up, a father loves...and one might rightly call him a king, but not a tyrant. Earthly fathers don’t always know what to do, but they know to whom they must look. They are the image of God to the world in a way that no other creature can! Such is my understanding of fatherhood from Scripture and experience.

And glad am I that “experience” is one of God’s gifts to me! Almost every Father’s Day in the Sunday sermon we are reminded how difficult a day this can be, honoring our fathers. For many this holiday is not celebratory because their father was nothing like what I’ve described above...but, thanks be to God, mine is!

I remember as a child peeking into my parent’s room just before bedtime, and there was dad on his knees, praying. You see, he didn’t always know what to do, or where to lead, or how to bless and build up, or what it meant to be fulfill the impossible task of modeling the Father to us kids...but he knew the Father and that showed. Because even though no dad is perfect, by God’s grace he’s taught and modeled for me how to be a friend, how to lead through service, how be strong and courageous yet gentle and compassionate, how to bless, how to build up, and most of all...how to know the Father.

So, he’s to you Dad, on this special day of remembrance. Though I’m full of trembling at soon joining the ranks of Fatherhood, this is a day I can truly be thankful for God’s gift to me and my family.

I love you! Glad to be your son,

Marcus

Due Date...and Counting

The long anticipated day is here! And yet we're still waiting for baby to arrive. Mommy is doing ok, pretty stiff and tired. She's more eager than anyone to meet this little one she's carried day and night for nine months now. And yet we wait...

Those of you who've had children before can empathize with this expectation. You wake up every morning and wonder, "is it the day?" Sometimes you're startled in the middle of the night and the mind races with all the possibilities. Yet all the signs show that every hour takes you one step closer to this long awaited event.

I've been challenged by this series of events. I've only experienced expectation like this as we prepared for out wedding day. How much more so the return of our Lord Jesus? Yet this event is even more like the final day we're all awaiting. We can't put the day on our calendars and mark it off...but we know it is coming, all the signs point to it! We can wake up each morning and wonder, "is it the day?" and yet live that day with all our might knowing that the day is coming. Like Paul we've all received a task in life "according to the mandate of God our Savior and Jesus Christ our hope." Hope, wait, and pray with us for this baby and that glorious day!

P.S. - Here are some recent pictures from an outing:

A City to Come...

How refreshing it's been these past two weeks as Rachel and I have had time to settle into our new apartment and prepare for Baby's arrival. We've enjoyed the relaxed pace after such an intense year of study. We're very thankful for this respite!

But God is good to not let us over-enjoy these pleasures such that they become idols in our lives. I was reading an email today that I receive from Voice of the Martyrs about the Christian community in NE India. In 2008 there was a lot of violence in Orissa State and many Christians lost their lives at the hands of Hindu extremists. Others, nearly 100,000 were internally displaced as their homes and villages were destroyed. (This is a good place to ask why we never heard about this in the regular news sources!?) Two years later nearly 50,000 of these believers are still displaced and homeless - monsoon season is coming. Take a moment to pray for their physical provision and spiritual perseverance.

I was reminded of a dear scripture from Hebrews 13:

"So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. "

Oh friends, let us enjoy every gift our Father gives, enjoy it fully and happily - but let us never idolize these things. May we too learn that this "city" is not our true home, we look for the city to come when our King descends and establishes the Kingdom. Let your Kingdom come Lord!

Why Study the Old Testament?

As part of our final exam for Old Testament: Background & Message we needed to write a brief response to this question. I thought that some of you might want to read my response. It's not exhaustive and is geared more towards my experience from the past semester. Nevertheless, I hope it is a helpful read. After all, the OT is 75% of our Biblical content and if any of you read through the bible in a year, this is certainly a very relevant question (especially as you trek through Leviticus or I Chronicles 1-9). Happy Reading!

Response: Why Study the Background & Message of the Old Testament?

Having taken a two “Introduction to the Old Testament” courses before this class, once in high-school and then in college, I thought I knew what this year of study was going to be like, perhaps only on a deeper level. I was pleasantly surprised by how wrong my expectations proved to be! I’ve catalogued the most significant improvements in my understanding of the Old Testament in terms of canonicity, continuity, and complexity.

Q :: Why Study the Background & Message of the Old Testament?

A1) It is not only 39 books but also one Book about God. (canonicity)

In God’s glorious design he wrote a book over the course of 1000 years using a variety of noted and anonymous authors from all walks of life tracing His sovereign work from the dawn of time to the days of silence. Each of these individual books plays and important role in the life and doctrine of God’s people and they also play a significant role in the one Book we call the Old Testament (OT). While the English Bible ordering is useful and helpful in numerous ways, I have been significantly helped by studying these books in their Hebrew ordering** and thus discerning the overarching message of the Book. The Hebrew Bible is divided into three sections: Law, Prophets, & Writings. The Law lays out the foundations and covenant stipulations for God’s people. The Prophets trace the promising but sad history of the covenant people up to the exile. The Writings record directions for the diverse situations those who truly seek to live out the covenant will encounter. Knowing where the individual books of the OT fit in this scheme greatly helps us as modern interpreters to understand them more clearly and apply them more precisely.

(**Hebrew Bible Ordering: (Law) Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; (Prophets) Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, The Book of the Twelve; (Writings) Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles.)

A2) It is foundational for so much of the New Testament. (continuity)

Jesus himself said after his resurrection, “everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44 ESV). The three-fold division of the OT all attests to the Messiah and fills us with anticipation for his coming reign! The corpus of the OT does not only point to the reign of YHWH over all the earth but is progressively building towards the day when he would send a Seed, a Prophet, a Priest, a King, a Branch, a Servant, a Redeemer who would save his people. I have been so helped by seeing afresh how the Law and sacrificial system undergird so much of the NT and even more function as types of Christ! I have been so helped by seeing, perhaps for the first time, how all these great men of the OT chronicles were YHWH’s gift to his people and yet ultimately failed to provide what the people needed; they too were types of Messiah. Thus, the OT is primarily about Jesus if we have eyes to see!

A3) For all its wealth is can be very difficult to read. (complexity)

It is this last point, that the OT is about Jesus, that is most difficult for us to see and understand. Yes, it is about him as far as prophecy and preparation for his coming, but there is so much more! The gospel is heralded throughout the OT text and yet it is also a few steps removed from the immediacy we find in the Epistle to the Romans or the Gospel of John. Reading a text in its canonical context understanding its continuity to NT themes leaves only one difficulty, the complexities inherent in a Book 3000 years and half a world removed from our lives. Thus, it is very worthwhile to study the background and message of the OT for it gives us the framework to go deep into our text and not drown, it is the Bible that all the NT authors knew and used to show us Jesus, it gives us pictures of Christ by undergirding NT allusions and showing us God’s gospel from the beginning, and knowing the background/message gives us tools to unravel some of this complexity that turns many away from God's Word.

So, let us be as Ezra who set his heart to study, to teach, and to do the Word of God. Let us be strong and courageous like Joshua knowing that as we think over these hard texts of the OT God will give us understanding in everything (2 Tim. 2:7). Study Hard!!

All Moved In

Whew! We made it! We finished the semester, we moved down the hallway, and now we're just waiting on the nine-month alarm to go off. Rachel's really happy with the new place and we were both surprised how much extra space there is. It is a wonder how such a small addition to one's life can make such massive changes, we're only just beginning to know. Enjoy a few pictures of our new environ. Hope to see and speak with many of you soon upon the blessed arrival!

The Home Stretch

It's been a busy three weeks since we've written thanks for sticking with us! Last weekend found us in two locations - Rachel teaching her life guard certification course, Marcus attending Andrew's graduation from the University of Illinois. It was exhilarating and exhausting for both of us! This past weekend Marcus was in Chicago again for a gathering of missions pastors as part of his global outreach internship.

But now we're in the home-stretch! Four days until the spring semester ends for Marcus and and 27 (projected) days until baby arrives. The words of the Preacher of Ecclesiastes ring in our ears: "for everything there is a season, a time for every matter under the sun." (3:1) We're summarizing the next few weeks and months this way: a time to complete, and a time to begin; a time to settle, and a time to embark.

As classes, seminary and lifeguarding, come to a close we are also looking forward to new beginnings that this summer will bring. But we're also looking forward to a sweet time in-between to gather together our thoughts and lifestyle. This summer has a lot of adventure in store, the smallest of which is Marcus beginning Biblical Hebrew, the greatest of which is a new life entering to world. We're also hoping to settle amid these new adventures: to focus of only one class, the new apartment we hope to acquire next week, the development of relationships begun this past year, and the rhythm of life to persevere through the next 3 years. Thank you for your prayers!

Running Hard, Marcus & Rachel

47 Days and Counting...

Parenthood came knocking at our door 7 months ago. More recently it's been hanging out at our apartment, taking over bookshelves, manifesting itself in my closet, taking precedent of the weekend, inching into our checkbook, and many far more invasive procedures! Not more than 47 days from now it will become a permanent dweller in the Leman household and will forever be one of us...and we feel like we're just getting to know it!

Yet, as the spring flowers begin blooming on the trees so Rachel is in full bloom! Now we can see footprints when Baby kicks, yes footprints. I keep saying soccer player, Rachel keeps saying swimmer, we'll see... Both mommy and baby are doing well, daddy is the one to be concerned about, he's just generally a wreck. 47 doesn't seem like enough time, but it just so happens to be the perfect amount because that's all we get. Up next: a hospital tour, moving to a new apartment unit down the hall, lots of reading (all in English though), and frank discussions about what color to paint the "baby room". Thanks for your love and support, we're so glad to have many friends praying for us these days as we continue our preparation and now begin a family.