Knowing . oing &DC S L e w i S i n S t i t u t e Winter 2010 A Teaching Quarterly for Discipleship of Heart and Mind Profile in faith Mary Slessor “Mother of All the Peoples” by David B. Calhoun Professor Emeritus, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri IN This Issue aking a purchase a few years ago the poor as one of themselves . She in a bookstore in St. Andrews, stooped very low. She became an angel of 2 Notes from Scotland, I was given a ten-pound mercy in miserable homes.” the President M by Kerry Knott note as part of my change. I was amazed Like her hero, David Livingstone, Mary 3 Holy Conference: and pleased to see the face of Mary Slessor read and studied books while she worked “A Kinde of on the front and a map of her mission sta- at her loom. More and more she was drawn Paradise” tion in Calabar, now eastern Nigeria, on the to missionary work—by her mother’s influ- by Joanne Jung back of the note. ence, the stories of the mission work of her 4 Self-Deception Mary Slessor was born into a poor fami- United Presbyterian Church reported in the and Christian Life ly in Aberdeen, Scotland in December 1848, Missionary Record, and the death of David by Gregg Ten Elshof 1 the second of seven children. Mary’s fa- Livingstone in 1874. 6 The Credibility of ther, a shoemaker, was an alcoholic. Seek- the Christian Life in To the delight of her mother, Mary volun- the Contemporary ing a new beginning, he moved the family teered as a missionary to Calabar, Nigeria. Narcissistic Society to Dundee, where they lived in a tiny one- She signed her farewell letters “Yours in by Dr. James M. room house, with no water and of course Houston Royal Service, Mary M. Slessor” and sailed no electricity. Mr. Slessor soon died, leav- on the SS Ethiopia in 1876. When she saw 8 The Voyage of the ing his wife the task of supporting their Dawn Treaader scores of casks of rum being loaded onto large family. To help out, Mary became, at by Art Lindsley the ship, Mary ruefully exclaimed, “All that age eleven, a “mill-lassie.” She was a tough, 23 Questions and street-smart girl, with striking blue eyes, rum! And only one missionary!” Answers on With Mary Slessor, the mission in Cal- C.S. Lewis red hair, and a flaming temper. For fif- abar had a staff of thirteen. Some of the 30 Recommended teen years, she worked fifty-eight hours a Reading week in the mill. She also taught a Sunday missionaries were Scottish; some were Ja- maican. The mission had been founded in 31 Thoughts to Ponder: school class, supported a youth club in her The Imitation of church, and soon had the unruly boys and 1824 by Hope Masterton Waddell, an Irish Christ by Thomas girls of the club joining her in helping with clergyman who had served in Jamaica. He A. Kempis the sick and elderly people around them. became convinced that Black Christians 32 Resources Years later, after Mary died, a member of from the West Indies could and should go her church wrote: “She sat down among to Africa as missionaries. (continued on page 10) In the legacy of C.S. Lewis, the Institute endeavors to develop disciples who can articulate, defend, and live C. S. LewiS inStitute faith in Christ through personal and public life. E S T A B L I S H E D 1 9 7 6 notes from the President by Kerry Knott President, C.S. Lewis Institute Dear Friends, ou may have seen the recent survey from Pew Research: they quizzed a cross section of Americans on their knowledge of the Bible. To many people’s sur- Yprise, atheists, agnostics, Mormons, and Jews scored higher than self-identified Christians. I saw one interview on ABC; they asked a man coming out of church on Sunday morning: “Can you name one of the Gospels?” The man hemmed and hawed and said, no, he couldn’t. It’s frightening to consider just how little Americans and even self-identified Chris- tians know about the Bible. Is it any wonder many observers say we have a crisis in the American church when it comes to spiritual maturity? Without an elemental under- standing of the Bible, how can someone grow in faith and become more like Christ? On the flip side, I’ve had the recent pleasure to be around some wonderful men of God. Lyle Dorsett, Jerry Root, and Em Griffin, all currently or formerly at Wheaton College, were in town, and I had the pleasure of spending time with each. Seeing how the Lord has used these men, and seeing Without an elemental understanding the Holy Spirit manifest himself in their persona, points me to how we should be living. Gentle in spirit, clear in their speech, of the Bible, how can someone grow and passionate in their love for people and for Christ, these men in faith and become more like Christ? are wonderful examples of what it means to be authentic disciples of Christ. They have touched countless lives and every day for them is an adventure for Christ. I pray that our churches can be filled with more and more spiritually mature believers who can model lives of radical obedience and passion for Christ. As we near the end of 2010, it’s a good time to ask ourselves, “Are we growing as we should be? Are we growing in our love for God and love for our neighbor?” Let’s each focus on being intentional in our walk with the Lord and in modeling authentic discipleship in our families, our neighborhoods, our churches, and our places of work. I hope and pray that our resources can be helpful to you as you grow in love and commitment to Christ. Sincerely, Kerry Knott [email protected] Page 2 • Knowing & Doing | Winter 2010 Holy Conference: “A Kinde of Paradise” by Joanne Jung Associate Professor, Biblical and Theological Studies Department Biola University, La Mirada, California n the current spiritual formation cul- God, in his commitment to transform us, ture, it is easy to equate our spirituality provides various means as conduits to ex- Iwith undertaking spiritual disciplines. perience his grace. The seventeenth-centu- There is a temptation to think of spiritual ry saintly John Preston said this about the formation as the result of a formula—that means of grace: if I just do certain activities, I’ll be mature. Frustration can set in, however, when we You must take heed of depending upon the don’t see any immediate change. It helps to means without GOD. For know that the remember that our spiritual transformation meanes without God, is but as a penne with- is a lifelong process and that we are not left out Inke, a Pipe without water, or a scabberd without a sword. They will not strengthen the Joanne Jung (MABE, alone in this undertaking. Indeed, each of Talbot School of Theology; the members of the Trinity plays a part. inward man without God: for it is the Spirit Ph.D. Fuller Seminary) is The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have that puts life in the meanes, and yet you must Associate Professor in the roles, functions, and power in designing, not cut off the pipe from the well-head; you Biblical and Theological modeling, and strengthening us in this must not depend on God without the meanes, Studies Department at Bio- but you must use both: that is, first seeke to la University in La Mirada, endeavor of receiving and allowing God’s California. Her interests are grace to grow and strengthen our faith. God God, and depend upon him for the strength- in biblical interpretation, is constantly extending his grace to us, in- ening of the inward man, and withal use the spiritual formation, and viting us to spend time with him and be- meanes constantly, because as water is car- Puritan theology. She and ried from the Well-head unto the pipe, and her husband, Norm, reside come like him. His goal is to make us like in Irvine, California. Christ. The power to accomplish this is the so from the pipe unto many places, so the abiding presence of his Spirit. When we un- meanes are as pipes to carry grace into the derstand that almighty God is at work in us soule: Therefore use them, and cut them not for our spiritual formation, we can feel that off by carelessness; if you doe, you will cut a huge weight has been lifted from us. off the strength of the inward man.1 Our journey of experiencing God’s com- mitment to transform us more into the God esteems us by his invitation to par- likeness of Christ began with his grace ticipate with him in the process of spiritual and will continue by means of that same transformation. Under the direction, guid- grace. Spiritual formation requires a life- ance, and power of the Trinity, and with our style of knowing and responding to this cooperation, these means can be particular- grace. Our individual responses take place ly helpful in our walk with God. in community. Spiritual formation has al- Some might call them spiritual disci- ways been a communal activity, but our plines—and they would be correct—but society’s hyper-individualistic and isola- the emphasis in using “means of grace” is tionistic trends for defining and finding on the actions of the Father, Son, and Holy personal success contradict the rhythms of Spirit in transforming us.