“Money” is not a subject I broach often. In fact I don’t like to talk about it much at all. I never write on the subject of tithing unless it is to dispel certain misconceptions about “what the bible really teaches about tithing”. But even there I do this very rarely because the tithe is a sacred cow to so many who take it for granted that the bible teaches it in the way it is commonly practiced today. I only step up when I see people getting abused by this church practice. I’m on the council of my church where, like any church council I suppose, the subject of money seems to dominate the agenda. I loathe that part of our meetings and for the most part remain silent.

Today I want to talk about money. The reason is because as of late, the subject of “money” has become something I do like to talk about. Not because I have more of it. In fact, most often the words out of my mouth are, “I don’t think I can afford that”, when asked to do something, buy something or go somewhere. But our (my wife and I) lives have been transformed in recent years. You might say that, while yes we still do not have much money, we are however no longer “slave to the lender”, and that is exciting!

I grew up in a home where my mom was very honest to us. When she said, “I have no money”, she meant it literally; there was absolutely no money to her name. If she said, “I have a $20”, that is what she had. My parents lived paycheck to paycheck by paying bills (if we could) and blowing the leftovers (if ever there were any).

My wife was more responsible with money then I was when we were engaged. But that’s because her parents typically lived within their means. Still, no one taught her how to handle money and her father typically lives on a line of credit and sees that as a normal thing, even expecting us to do the same and finding it odd that we don’t want to.

When we got married, her lack of money handling mixed with my training of, if you have it, it’s there to be used, made of a disastrous first year of marriage.

Then I discovered Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover book. I read it and thought it could change our lives. Foolishly I jumped into “gazelle intensity” and sold my guitar to begin my “debt snowball” before my wife was on board. The result is that we both lost something of sentimental value (I used that guitar to sing her the wedding song I wrote on our wedding day), we cannot get it back and it did nothing to further our financial freedom.

Today she confesses that the reason she did not want to do the Total Money Makeover with me back when I first presented it to her was because of pride and control. First she did not want to admit that we needed help, and second she didn’t want someone else telling her how to handle our money. I have found this to be a common reaction whenever I broach the subject of money and suggest Dave Ramsey.

Eventually we both got on board with Dave’s program and took the course, Financial Peace University. While we have not kept to Dave’s ideals in every detail (recently we purchased a new car without paying cash, something Dave would not approve of), on a whole this decision has literally changed our lives. Last year we managed to pay off over $14,000.00 in debts and we bought a used car with cash ($2,000.00). What makes that number even more amazing is that just prior to taking Dave’s course we were still living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to get ahead even a little.

The point of writing this post is not to reflect on how much money I have (I don’t have much!) nor to boast on how much I have paid off (but I am proud and amazed at the fact). I’ve written this post because of the real change that has taken place inside of me. A change that involves my thinking process.

Someone recently said to me that every time they talk to someone who has taken the Dave Ramsey course, they never seem to have any money. It baffled this person, “does the course work? Does it not? I don’t know. But no one who takes it seems to have any money.”

I’m afraid my friend misses the point, as my wife did when I first broached the subject with her, as I would have if someone had made the suggestion to me four years ago. We judge whether or not something works based on a monetary value. What kind of results are you looking for?

If you are looking for money, look elsewhere; because you have missed the point. If you are looking for freedom, however, then let’s talk. Look for money and you’ll find bondage, look for freedom and you’ll find money. If my wife and I stopped at this moment to look for freedom, we would find that we have lots of money. Money we have been using to get out of debt. But we would also find that before long that money would be gone and we would still be in bondage. However, if we continue to use our money to press for freedom, if – to quote Dave – “we told our money where to go instead of allowing our money to tell us where to go”, we would eventually find freedom and when that happens we’ll have lots of money and no place to go but up.

So what kind of results are you looking for? For my wife and I, searching for financial peace has changed the way we think. I purchased a Tim Horton’s travel mug for $4.00 because I drink a cup of coffee on my way to work every day (it’s in the budget). When you first buy the mug your first coffee is free, thus the mug really only cost me $2.50. Plus, because I use the mug every day when I go through the drive thru they take 10 cents off the price of the coffee. Before long the coffee has paid for itself and I keep my car clean (the paper cups always leak). This way of thinking would have never occurred to me before.

I am still as honest as ever when it comes to money, just like my mom was. But I have redefined terms. You’ll recall that when my mom said she had no money, it meant that her bank account had run dry. For me, to say that I have no money does not mean that my bank account has run dry; it means that I have no money to spend. It means that this thing, event, whatever, is not in the budget. It means that I had to prioritize and set an agenda and those shoes I want are going to have to wait a few weeks. It also happens to mean that if I come across someone in dire straits, a sheer desperate situation, to say that “I have no money right now” to other things actually means, “here, let me help you out.” It just takes a little adjusting of the budget.

And what is one of the most delightfully joyful things of this whole life changing process my wife and I are doing right now with all of its menial and temporary sacrifices? It is the knowledge that one day our kids will not have to struggle for food and will not have to worry about having a good education and will not be dependent upon the system in any way and will not be in bondage to the lender. That their children will be able to play all of the sports they can and also get a good education. That my wife and I are readjusting the settings on our lives so that we are no longer in financial cruise control which may alter the course of our family for generations to come and, let’s not forget that when this happens, we are in a better position to move forward the Kingdom of God and to help those around us in need when we ourselves are no longer there.

A part of my job as the marketing guy for a Christian bookstore is to travel the area visiting pastors. It is not the easiest part of my job. Most pastors receive me with a great deal of apprehension, which adds some unnecessary tension to our meetings – though no doubt from experience most pastors have learned to be guarded for good reason unfortunately. It is difficult to get into seeing a pastor from a larger church. They are usually quite busy. But visiting pastors in smaller churches sometimes feels like being invited to a friend’s home for the first time. They want to show you around the house, every room, every feature. With great pleasure, they share an abbreviated history of the church and their time as pastor. Things sometimes warm up quite quickly.

Just the other day I went in to visit a pastor of a small Pentecostal church. His office was too small and cluttered for two people to cohabitate, so when I entered the foyer (which was the same as entering the sanctuary) the first thing I saw was a table set up at the altar of the church, a chair on either side and a bottle of water in front of each seat. He was waiting for me with a big smile and eagerly extended the right hand of fellowship.

Before that I had visited a United Methodist Church where the pastor was just as friendly as he gave me the grand tour. It was beautiful building with great acoustics, recently remodeled. And today another minister, a Baptist pastor, handed me a printed copy of the history of the Church. They had just celebrated their 125^th anniversary! Quite the accomplishment for this area.

As I entered the Baptist church I had passed through a large library, high ceilings, large thick wooden shelves which extended to the top, a deep room with a ladder reaching to the high shelves and a table in the center. I marveled as I passed through and into the pastor’s office and had made a comment of how much I like it.

He shared with me how he grieves that no one uses it. The person who built it and stocked it had done so over 25 years prior, they had since passed away. About four years ago a young man took charge of the library, but began to toss anything that seemed “dated”, “irrelevant” or “unknown” to him. The pastor was horrified and put a stop to it as soon as he could. Fortunately, the young man was not in charge long enough to deal too much damage, most of the books were salvaged.

The pastor went on to show me a little book of hardly more than a hundred pages sitting there on his desk.  It was Mark Dever’s What Is A Healthy Church. He said he was going to ask his board members to read it. “It’s small”, he said, “they shouldn’t have much excuse not to. But if I don’t politely, but forcefully ask them to read it, they won’t read at all.”

He then said something which stuck for me, like one of those quotes worth archiving. He said:

“If only six men would read three books a year, it would change the whole environment of our church.”

I grieve with this pastor. In our store we have a quote on the wall by A.W. Tozer:

“… the right book in the hands of the right person, can easily transform a life.”

It did for me. It can for you. It and will for those in your church.

This November marks the first anniversary of Covenant of Love. So I’d like to take this opportunity to share some insights I learned through trial and error. What works for a Christian blog, want doesn’t work. Mistakes I’ve made and what is really important.

1. Friends Matter Most: I’m starting here because, as I’ve discovered, the Christian community is a Covenantal community. No two people agree on all points. But it is when you can develop respectful online friendships in the blogging world, that whether or not we agree, your blog will truly be benefited. Because from respectful dialogue you can celebrate with your friends on issues where you agree and take constructive criticism in areas where you do not. And, what’s more, you support each other’s blogs and will extend the influence you have. Friends matter most.

2. Content Matters Most: Because Covenant of Love was new, I decided the best way to “introduce” my blog to the wider Christian blogosphere was to do a “book giveaway”. I had hoped that this would allow my blog to go viral and once having discovered it, that people would return regularly. In retrospect, nothing makes a blog go viral like a great blog post with great content. My posts titled N.T. Wright, R.C. Sproul and the Scarecrow, and Soul-Journey Into The Lost World of Genesis One generated nearly twice as much action as the giveaway.

3. Courtesy Matters Most: Passion and inexperience results in the use of many exclamation marks (!). Exclamation marks can be a dangerous thing because they often communicate a message contrary to what is intended. For example, a writer may use many exclamation marks because they are shocked or excited about something, but the reader will read into those exclamation marks as arrogance, pride or immaturity. Exclamation marks can be powerful and effect when used infrequently and timely. But it says something of the writer’s skill when he is able to communicate a powerful point without the need of exaggerated emphasis. But what I have also noted is that people will be more inclined to dialogue with your blog and engage with you as a blogger if you write with courtesy and humility. It is fair and expected that when you write you will be giving your opinion, and in doing so you can be firm.  But be respectful, or become your only reader.

4. Controversy Matters Most: Writing on matters of controversy will almost certainly drive your blog status up – at first. But how you handle the controversial subject will weigh heavily as to whether someone will return to read new stuff. If you write in favour of someone’s view, they will wish to see if you have any new insight to add. If you write against someone’s view, they will want to see what you have to say (and most often make an attempt to rebut you). If possible, be your own worst critic, be as well read on the subject as possible, and be open to correction. Controversial issues can be divisive, and the church does not need any more division. But controversial issues can also open fresh lines of thinking on old and difficult problems, and we Christians need to allow our received traditions to be challenged and to open our minds from time to time. Controversial blog posts can help, but they need to be written with a spirit of exhortation and humility.

5. Comments Matter Most: We are way beyond the age of passive-web-surfers. The internet is no longer about information retrieval; it is equally about information bestowal. People want to engage and contribute to the information out there, particularly by sharing the information they have; i.e. they leave comments. Whenever possible, engage those comments, because one thing is for sure: when someone leaves a comment they will almost certainly return to see if you’ve responded. Seeing that you have will make their return worth the cyber trip. You can expect that they will come back again. A word of caution: choose your battles wisely. Many commenters’ are like drive-by parishioners: they blow in, blow up, and blow out. Some people just want to cause trouble while others are consumed in their own pride and feel it is their mission in life to correct everyone with their absolute opinions. I suggest that a great deal if humility will be required not to take their bait.

6. Inspiration Matter Most: Why do I blog? This question has taunted me since I first opened Covenant of Love. Do I blog to stroke my pride? To vent my frustration? To hammer those I disagree with? Or do I blog to add something positive and constructive into peoples lives? Another way to put it: if Covenant of Love ceased to exist today, would it be missed at all? If not, then what is the point? I want Covenant of Love to be a place of useful (and sometimes challenging) information, of resources, and of spiritual encouragement. I don’t think I’ve been able to cultivate any of these to any great degree. But bloggers who do are those Christian blog sites who have proved to be most successful. In time, I hope to be there.

Special thanks to those who have been returning friends and partners to Covenant of Love this year, to José who helped get Covenant of Love up and running, and to Craig Adams who has come along side in recent months to help keep Covenant of Love running by contributing great articles.

Many years ago, back in the days when I was in Seminary, I picked up an Interlinear Hebrew-English Psalter.

It’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

It’s a small, slim volume, a 1974 Zondervan reprint of a much older edition published by Samuel Bagster & Sons Ltd. in London. The correct title is: The Interlineary Hebrew and English Psalter in which The Construction of Every Word is Indicated, and the Root of Each Distinguished by the Use of Hollow or Other Types.

I liked the little book immediately, because it is printed in a way that clearly indicated the Hebrew roots and constructions. I knew immediately that I’d made a good purchase.

But, it was many years before I actually put it to any regular use.

Somewhere, some time, I learned to use the Psalms as my Prayer Book. I no longer remember when I stumbled across this technique of prayer. For years I had found it hard to spend extended periods of time in prayer. My mind wandered (of course). Silence was comforting to me at first. But, the time would often pass slowly. Some days I seemed to have nothing to say.

I began to pray the Psalms.

I would read a verse or two. I would meditate upon it. I would pray. I would intercede for the many people on my heart. And, at the point where I caught my mind wandering (as it so naturally does) I would come back to the Psalm again. The process would begin again.

And, this is where my Interlinear Hebrew and English Psalter came in so handy. It allowed me to actually meditate on the original words of the Psalm. It forced me to slow down. It forced me to read each word. It forced me to reconstruct the meaning of the sentences. It suggested new possibilities of meaning that I might not have seen in translation.

(A stodgy, literal translation like the New American Standard Bible will produce much the same effect, for those who have no knowledge of Hebrew. But, bear in mind, an Interlinear Bible only requires a rudimentary knowledge of the original language.)

And, I began to feel that my prayers were a dialogue with God. I spoke to God. I listened for the echo of God speaking in the Psalm.

You see, I feel like I hear the Psalms in an echo chamber. I don’t know how else to describe it. It echos with the history of Israel. It echos with the life of David, and so many ancient hopes that were pinned on him. It echos with all the varied emotions of the human heart: joy, laughter, sorrow, despair. It echos down through all the history of the Christian faith, as believers have turned to these ancient songs for guidance and inspiration. Because I see the Psalms through a Christ-lens, they yield levels of meaning to me because I see them in the light of a certain, particular fulfillment.

And, in that sense I’m not alone. These songs of faith and devotion, doubt and despair, are the property of a community of faith that has read and cherished them through ages of time.

And, here they lie in front of me. Ancient words, carefully preserved by Masoretic scribes, who added markings so that even their accents and pronunciations might be preserved. It’s really quite amazing if you think about it.

My God,
Thank you for the gift of the Word
and these particular words
very human and yet divine
an ancient and living part of your redemptive plan
a gift to me today.

Lord,
I do not understand
my prejudices and preconceptions run deep
I am so quick to defend my ideas
so often arrogant and fearful
(maybe they are the same thing)
I am easily distracted;
Inspire me
Teach me your ways.

May your Word
find an entrance into my heart
today. Amen.