A new trend....."Are you kidding me?"

Came across this on the BBC News Website, all I can say is what were these parents thinking.

Here is the article.

There seems to be a new trend in giving very unique names to children.

an example of a child's name => Yeah Detroit

Apparently these parents are hoping to eliminate any opportunity for their children's future.

Unbelievable

Sermon Text: Psalm 19

Psa. 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Psa. 19:2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
Psa. 19:3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Psa. 19:4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Psa. 19:5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
Psa. 19:6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
Psa. 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psa. 19:8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa. 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
Psa. 19:10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Psa. 19:11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Psa. 19:12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
Psa. 19:13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
Psa. 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Attention turns to China, but not good news for everyone

I am not sure how bias this article is or not, but it was disturbing to read.

I lived in China and saw persecution first hand, I know this can be very real for many Christians. I am glad the Olympic Games are coming to Beijing, I think it is a good thing. At the same time, it can also bring a lot of pressure, and particularly on the church.

Remember to pray, pray for the church in China, particularly in and around Beijing.

Fun @ Fenway

There are many historical sites in New England, Bunker Hill, Concord, Boston Harbor, etc..... And on top of that, there are just simply famous places..... Cape Cod Area, Arcadia National Park, Mt. Washington, Lake Champlain, etc.....

Well one place that fits in both categories is Fenway Park in Boston. And the Wakefields had a chance to visit this famous ballmark.

My alma mater, Grove City College, organized a tour of Fenway. We had a nice time seeing all the behind the scenes places you normally do not get to go. On a day like today ( hot, hot hot), the Press Box was probably one of our favorites.

Anyhow, we had a nice time, and we were glad we went. Now all we need to do is get to a game!

NECEP Interns next 2 weeks

I am getting a break from preaching for the next 2 weeks, and the help comes from the New England Center for Expository Preaching.

Two separate men will be preaching the last 2 Sundays in July on the Book of Psalms which we are faithfully studying this summer.

I appreciate the opportunity to work on Fall Planning and sermon prep for the fall, which I most desperately need to do.

If your curious, sermons often have a lot of prep outside of the immediate prep for a Biblical text that a congregation is studying on a given Sunday. I like to plan a year out the Biblical book we will be looking at, and also read and listen to sermons related to the text.

All of this takes time, and I am grateful to have these men preaching so I can work ahead towards the fall.

Sermon Text : Psalm 8

Psa. 8:1 O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
Psa. 8:2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
Psa. 8:3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
Psa. 8:4 What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Psa. 8:5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
Psa. 8:6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
Psa. 8:7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
Psa. 8:8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
Psa. 8:9 O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

What New Hampshire is known for in Religious Circles

Last year some of our elders from our Presbytery travelled to Uganda to teach at a seminary. All of them were from New Hampshire.

At first, they were not welcomed and it was unclear why. After reassuring the Uganda Christians of these elders' credentials, being biblical and conservative everything seemed fine. They had a great time

The problem was with where they were from, New Hampshire. New Hampshire in the mind of many in the church is now associated with one man, Gene Robinson.

You might have heard about him being heckled in England this past weekend, it seems not everyone in the Anglican church is still not settled on what to do next.

But in the eyes of the universal church, particularly those who are traditional, New Hampshire has a negative connotation. Next time I travel abroad, I might not want to mention I am a minister from New Hampshire.

Sermon Text: Psalm 5

Psa. 5:0 For the choir director; for flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David.
Psa. 5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my groaning.
Psa. 5:2 Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to You I pray.
Psa. 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.
Psa. 5:4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
Psa. 5:5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity.
Psa. 5:6 You destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
Psa. 5:7 But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house,
At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.
Psa. 5:8 O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes;
Make Your way straight before me.
Psa. 5:9 There is nothing reliable in what they say;
Their inward part is destruction itself.
Their throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.
Psa. 5:10 Hold them guilty, O God;
By their own devices let them fall!
In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out,
For they are rebellious against You.
Psa. 5:11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You shelter them,
That those who love Your name may exult in You.
Psa. 5:12 For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.

The Glitch & God's Providence

I mentioned in the previous post there was a problem on the trip.

After 1300 miles on bumpy roads ( particularly I-84 & I-87) I was driving up our street thrilled that nothing major had gone wrong on the trip.

On our previous trip, we blew a tire on the Mass Turnpike. But on this occasion, we seemed to be prepared. That was until I started backing up the trailer into the driveway.

A simple maneuver, done dozens of times. Except in this case, I heard a large bang. I got out to find the right tires nearly touching. Shocked, yet tired, I just simply unhooked the trailer and figured I would tackle this problem the next day.

The problem is a broke weld, which is not suppose to happen. It could have been quite dangerous for us if it happened while going 65 mph. A number of friends and neighbors were astonished it happened while it was being slowly backed into the driveway.

Can we say, God's Providence? I am inclined to think so.

Travel Notes

Yes, the Wakefields were traveling again, this time to Slippery Rock, PA, my old stomping grounds.

It was a nice trip, we got to see lots of family, enjoy a week of rest and relaxing with the grandparents. The kids love going out to PA and were depressed as we made the long trip home to Nashua, NH.

The highlight for the kids was going to Idlewild Park, a family friendly amusement park near Ligonier, PA. The Wild Mouse was their favorite ride.

It was a good trip, enjoyed getting away. There was one glitch on the trip, but I will blog about that in the next post.