Update

Man, it's true. I'm getting bad at blogging. I hope to do a couple book reviews soon...in the meantime, here are some general points of interest or non-interest as the case might be.

• Olivetti baby #4 is on his/her way. Yea wife! Yea God! (Pray for strength - it looks like there will be about a month when we have four children under the age of four.)
• We're also trying to sell our house. Right now we live in the north part of Lafayette and we'd really like to be in West Lafayette, living near those we're seeking to build up in faith. We've had some interest (actually, there's someone looking at this very second - how exciting!).
• Immanuel is turning into a healthy little church - not that there's always excellence in smallness, but I'm glad to see God blessing our fellowship and building strong relationships. I've also been blessed to see several folks really grow in the quantity and quality of their service to the kingdom of heaven. We hope to find some effective roads of outreach this summer, so you can pray for that, if you're inclined.
• Movie review: The lovely bride and I really enjoyed Stranger than Fiction. It's not perfect in purity, but quite thoughtful. And with a great soundtrack.
• As an early birthday present, my parents told us they're taking us to see Alison Kraus & Union Station this summer. I hope I can preach the next morning without a really goofy grin on my face.
• Finally, my little brother is graduating from law school next month! We're glad to hear he and his wife are moving back to Indianapolis. It'll be great to have them around more.

Have a great Thursday, everybody.

Immanuel

I know everyone's thinking and writing about the Colts winning the Super Bowl. But something much more important happened last weekend.

Friday night the Great Lakes/Gulf presbytery of the RPCNA met to organize Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church as a particular congregation. It was a great night of worship and rejoicing in the greatness of God. Pastor Barry York preached for us from Psalm 45, on our call as a daughter church to "forsake our people and our father's house" and our mother church's great sacrifice of sending a daughter away from her in order to pursue Christ's kingdom. James Faris, pastor of the Southfield (MI) RPC, prayed the prayer of constitution, and Immanuel became a congregation - we start with 38 communicant members and 32 baptized members.

Two men were elected as ruling elders: David Carr, who was a ruling elder in Lafayette, and Ben Larson. I might be more excited about this than anyone else - I am, perhaps, an incurable presbyterian. I'm so glad to have men to work alongside with, men to keep me accountable and watch over souls with me.

The service was wonderful. And wonderfully long - it takes Presbyterians a while to do something like this. At one point, Pastor Faris reminded us that, though the world was focusing their attentions on a football game, what we were doing that night would be remembered for eternity because it was of eternal significance.

Sunday was our first full day of worship together. Though it feels weird and a little "off" to not be worshipping in the Lafayette church, it was an exciting day. In our morning worship, I began a sermon series examining the theme of Immanuel throughout Scripture. In our evening teaching service, we're studying through the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

If we come to mind, pray that God might use us for His glory and purposes, that the kingdom of Christ would come in West Lafayette as it is in heaven.

Updates

What's going on in my life...

• Baby #3 is sleeping around 7 hours a night now, for which we (mostly my wife) are quite thankful. #1 just learned his first Bible verse (John 3:16) and laughs with joy every time he gets to say it for us. #2 is, well, learning how to work the system as the only little girl in the house. And the beautiful bride is obviously lovingly busy.
  
• Our mid-week Bible study is going piece by piece through the Nicene Creed and studying each doctrine Biblically. It has been more encouraging than I could have hoped. If you'd like a copy of the Bible studies I've been writing, let me know. I've toyed with the idea of putting them together in a nice little booklet for Bible study groups.
• At Immanuel RPC, we're nearing the end of our sermons in Colossians. It has been, for me at least, very helpful and very convicting. February 2nd is our official organization date - you're welcome to come! I've been praying that it would be a night of great encouragement and great glory for God. If you do want to come, we'll be at the Lafayette church building, beginning at 7 p.m.
  
• February 4th is first morning worship together; we haven't picked a new sermon series yet, but hopefully we will soon. We're all very excited to begin our full Sabbath day of worship together.
  
• This weekend is our college winter conference. Pastor Harry Metzger is coming to speak on developing a heart for the lost...nothing too convicting, I hope. I'll be doing a workshop on improving our worship.
• Tootsie rolls lollipops now have a lemon lime flavor. It's like a party in my mouth.
  

The goings-on

The washing machine of life is now reset to the "normal" cycle - just don't ask my lovely wife, who is now adjusting to three little ones at home. So here's a rinse-cycle update:

Some grad students and I had a great time meeting over lunch today. We're praying for and planning a new ministry to grad students and faculty/staff of Purdue Univeristy. For now, you can browse the inner mind-workings of this fun group at the new blog, purduegatory. Already the group seems to have a good focus on seeing how the Lordship and Kingship of Christ impacts their academic studies. Watch out, Purdue...the CORGS are coming (collegiate organization of reformed grad students. ? ? Maybe we'll keep working on the name).
-----
We're beginning our small group tomorrow night. I'm going to be leading a series of studies based on the Nicene Creed. What do you think about creeds? Yea/nay? Like/dislike? I grew up reciting the creed in an OPC church; I'm not quite sold on reciting it in worship, but I do miss it and am glad for how God has used it in the church's history. Maybe we'll start using it in family worship.
-----
Church planting - God met with us and blessed us Sunday night during our third worship service together. The sermon wasn't recorded, but you'll do fine if you read Colossians 1 about 30 times. ...And did I mention that we have our website?!! If you have time, check out immanuelrpc.com - I would greatly love to hear comments and suggestions: What makes a great church website? Don't slam our design too hard yet - for now it's just a template. Our uber-designer will be at working making it distinctly ours.
-----
Sigh. I must confess that I am somewhat bummed. I am reading a book I was hoping to review for you, a book on one of the most exciting theological topics possible, covenant theology. Alas, though the information in the book is orthodox and stable, it is one of the most poorly written pieces of theology I've read. This fellow writes like Yoda speaks. Seriously I speaking am. Rather than write a whole review and bash a nice, reformed author, I'd rather just make a plea to the Christian writers and publishers: What's the point in having the right theology with the wrong words? Christ is honored, not simply when we put forth truth, but when we put forth truth well. Please don't dishonor Christ (and frustrate me) with beautiful truth dressed in literary rags.

In Living Color

#3 in the flesh. Sometimes he looks like a cross between a great little baby and an old man.






We're still trying to figure out what color his eyes are. They look like they have some gray in them. But then again, I'm colorblind, so what do I know?







And here's the other two, just to prove they're still cute.

I love the way their breath smells

The newest Olivetti made the switch from the life inside to life on land Sunday morning (like all good preacher's kids). Elias Martyr Olivetti (hereafter known as #3 in this blog) was born at 6:13, weighing in at 8 lbs, 4 oz, and 21 inches long. My beautiful wife, who ought to have her own comic book, is doing very well and we've decided to keep him. #1 and #2 find him pretty kissable and are all-too ready to give him jelly beans as a sign of their undying love.

I'll post some pictures soon.

God is very good! Infants are proof, I tell you. I do love the way their breath smells. And how well they sleep for a few days, just to give you that faint hope that they won't wake up screaming in the night later on. But they will. And it'll be okay.

p.s. - Elias is the Greek form of Elijah and Martyr means (or meant) "witness"...plus, there's a couple heroes of church history to share his second name.