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June 2017 Blog Archives 

Thursday, June 29 

7:48 AM I get to run a 10K this Saturday. Woohoo! Then again, it's only by the grace of God that I get to do ANYTHING. "What do you have that wasn't given to you? Answer that! So if you've really received it all as a sheer gift, why take the credit to yourself?" That's God's word on the matter. My taking credit for being able to run is as absurd as my taking credit for my salvation. Not only the gift of running has been given to me, but the very air I breathe while I'm running has. "All good giving, as well as every perfect gift, comes from above, from the Father." Just because God gives us things indirectly (such as the ability to work out or train or lift weights), that's no reason to forget that He's still the one giving it to us. Jesus said, "Beware of greed of every kind! Don't be like the man whose crops yielded so much that he pulled down his old barns and built bigger ones, then said to himself, 'Look at what I've done! Time to take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself, Dave old buddy old pal." You guys, this is exactly me from time to time. I'm learning, ever so slowly, to give God the credit. The one who is reluctant to acknowledge that God is the giver of all his gifts is the one who will also be reluctant to part from them. And one day we must all "part from them." Health and vitality  will be gone. God may even take our possessions from us. Okay. What then? Here's Paul's answer:

I count all these things as unspeakable filth for the sake of gaining Christ and finding myself united with Him. All I really care about is to know Christ and to be conformed to His death.

Alright. I'm not there. Still, I truly believe that life and light are greater than darkness. I also believe that humility is no excuse for being anything less than God wants us to be. (Yes, He actually might want you to be active and get in shape. According to the CDC, only 20 percent of Americans fall into the "fit" category. Care to join?) Clothes, food, health, money, houses, vacations, family: all are pure gifts from His hand. "All these things the heathen run after, but not you. Your heavenly Father knows you need all of them." So there's got to be a balance. He is the Giver. I am the steward. That's about it. If we truly get this right, I believe everything else will fall into place.

Off to Dallas to visit mom and dad. Becky's parents are precious saints who brought the Gospel to Ethiopia some 65 years ago. I like the Big D. Like, love it. So much culture and fancy cuisine. And all the 5Ks and 10Ks are FLAT. But mostly I enjoy just hanging with two very special people who were responsible (obviously) that I was able to marry their eldest daughter in the first place. Maybe we start here: Call your parents today and tell them "I love you." Don't text them. No emails either. Call. Or better yet, visit. This is holy ground. "Honor your dad and your mom."

Thank you, mom and dad, for your love and prayers through the years.

I love you.

Wednesday, June 28 

9:06 PM So much to be thankful for tonight. Thank You, Lord, for our hay fields.

Thank You for our barns in which to keep our hay dry.

Thank You for all You're doing in my kids' and grandkids' lives. Thank You for another grandson due in 3 weeks. Thank You for Food Lion and Siri and tractors and books to read at night. Thank You for a body that's still ticking after 65 years. Thank You for I love yous and text messages and emails and Great jobs! Thank You for aluminum tubes that allow us to fly everywhere on this planet in a mere day. Thank You for coffee and Amazon Prime. Thank You for a whole new world that is waiting for me in heaven. Thank You for the messy soil of relationships. Thank You for moving and stirring in my generation.

Thank You for most of all for YOU! 

5:22 PM I'm taking the plunge -- again. Just signed up for the Rex Wellness Sprint Triathlon in Wakefield, NC on August 13. This will be just two days after I fly home from my 9-day surfing vacation in Hawaii. So far it looks like I'm the second oldest participant. #LifeIsAbsurd.

5:04 PM Takeaways from Ken Coley's new book Teaching for Change:

  • Where there is no change, no teaching or learning has taken place.

  • Students learn more when they actively engage with the content than when they sit, listen, take notes, and watch.

  • I have discovered the key to students' learning is the short, but powerful word, engage.

  • Effective teachers recognize and respond to the need for diversity in their approaches.

Lots to learn about learning!

1:18 PM Inspired by last weekend's triathlon adventure/exploit/escapade/feat, I decided to drive to a state park and swim some laps this morning. Who knows -- I may do another tri soon!

P.S. If, like me, you are a newbie runner, you will be greatly encouraged by this wonderful essay: If You Run Slow, Who Cares? Of course, "slow" should be "slowly." But who cares?

8:26 AM Have you read Robert Banks' classic book on the church called Paul's Idea of Community? It's a call for believers to get our eyes off ourselves and onto Jesus, off our mission and onto His mission, to get rid of the clutter and return to the essentials. Banks is insistent: the apostle Paul did not admonish his converts to "go to church" for a "worship" service. Instead, he teaches that worship is 24/7/365 -- an entire life of giving oneself away in deeds of service, not limited to special gatherings or places (Rom. 12:1-2). Roland Allen makes the same point in his work Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours? Paul did not encourage his churches to form a Christian subculture. He didn't urge them to retreat from the secular culture surrounding them. They were to live "sent" lives. "They" don't have to come to "us." We will go to them.

This is how grave the Gospel challenge is and why I'm going to harp on these truths in my classes this coming semester. There is no way around this. The gathering exists for the going. If I could, I daresay I would require my students to cancel their Sunday School classes one weekend and go and play basketball with kids in the inner city instead. Christ's disciples are characterized by self-denial and love. When we do gather, it's not to worship but to recharge our missional batteries to be sent right back out into the world. Let's call it what Paul called it: an edification service (1 Cor. 14:26).

By the way, I crunched the numbers yesterday. I've got 34 students in one section of Greek 1 and another 34 in my second section of the same course; 19 students in my Acts through Revelation class; and 30 enrolled in my Greek Syntax and Exegesis class. This latter gathering will be especially exciting. We've got the skeleton. Now it's time to hang some meat on the bones. We will go, verse by verse, through Philippians, fixating on Paul's single theme: unity in the cause of the Gospel. Nothing matters quite as much to him (1:27)! We'll work through my little book It's Still Greek to Me and even rummage around in Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek. Wait, what? You're using your own textbooks? Can't help it. For better or for worse, I tell my students they're getting Dave Black in my classes. It's a grand adventure, this foray into Greek language and linguistics. But it's not about Greek in the end. It's not about church either. It's bigger than that. It's about becoming what the Greek New Testament calls us to be: people who put hands and feet to the Gospel -- our hands and feet. The Gospel is not just an idea to discuss, it's a life to live.

Can't wait to get started.

Tuesday, June 27 

9:20 PM Nate's working late tonight, fertilizing the fields, while I "supervise."

Meanwhile, Sheba and I enjoyed some Hawaiian sweet bread, toasted and buttered. Growing up in the Islands, we used to call this Portuguese Sweet Bread. The Portuguese also introduced malasadas to our cuisine -- deep fried pastries that are out of this world. Of course, where we would be without that other great Portuguese invention, the ukulele. I grew up with friends named De Silva, Cravalho, and Medeiros. Love (and miss) the ethnic diversity of Hawaii.

Sheba, by the way, has decided to sleep in my upstairs bedroom. Back in the day, I had a strict no-sleeping-in-my-room policy. That went out the window as soon as the summer thunderstorms began. Sweet Sheba is scared to death of thunder and would slowly creep up the stairs and into my bedroom and I didn't have the heart to tell her no. Dogs are like people in that they are pack animals and crave companionship. Reckon there's no reason for her to be lonely at night. You'll notice that she sleeps squarely on the air conditioning vent to stay cool. How cute.  

7:54 PM While scarfing down my stir-fry this evening (I am so stuck in a cuisine rut) I was listening to NPR's Fresh Air and an interesting interview with the author of a new book on the Donner Party. The author is Michael Wallis and his book is called The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny.

Only half the party survived the trek to California mainly because they were convinced to take a "shortcut" that never existed. It's not that the travelers weren't warned, however.

[Explorer James Clyman, a friend of James Reed, made] a visit to Illinois ... and sat down over beverages that evening around a fire with members of the Donner-Reed Party and focused on James Reed and said, "Don't take this shortcut! Lansford Hastings doesn't know what he's talking about. He, in fact, has never taken this cutoff himself. I advise you strongly, don't take it. Stick to the known California trail. Don't take this shortcut that's going to save you time, because it won't." And unfortunately James Reed didn't heed his old friend's advice.

Classic.

Students: There are no shortcuts to learning, whether the subject is Greek or anything else. It's a profound moment in our academic journey when we realize this. I suspect many of you will relate. I travel quite a bit speaking and am always amazed at how people expect a public speaker to be a prophetic voice who can answer all their questions. We are not prophets. We have opinions, as does everyone. To be sure, we try to be gentle guides. But there is no way we would think of ourselves as having the last word on any subject. That you'll have to get on your own, through grit and determination. Friends, I've been teaching for over 40 years and I've never been more aware of my own ignorance (and arrogance). I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you: Your teachers are ordinary people who struggle with the same questions you do. When you agree with us, that makes us happy. But should you disagree with us, we will humbly and gratefully enter the conversation with you.

There are indeed no shortcuts in life. In teaching Greek, I cherish the hope that maybe I can inspire people to learn and live the example of Christ. I will write books that can perhaps guide you onto the right path. Half of me is thrilled that people seem to enjoy my writings. The other half of me is scared stiff that they will regard my books as replacements for their own study. God does His heaviest lifting when we get into the word ourselves. That's one lesson I learned the hard way, but it's a lesson well worth learning.

6:50 PM Odds and sods....

1) Zach Vickery's How and Why Pastors Should Study the Biblical Languages calls us to forsake exegetical shoddiness and to interrupt anything that gets in the way. A great read. Being missional is no excuse for sloppy thinking.

2) Forthcoming book: Greek Composition: A Greek Primer with English to Greek Composition Exercises and Answers. This book is sorely need. I never teach a Greek class without doing English to Greek composition. Never.

3) Saw this at Nerdy Language Majors: "I failed Greek because of all the fake ννν." What a hoot.

4) I see I'm not the only one who's excited to be running in the Anthem Richmond Marathon this year.

5) What happens when you're running a marathon and you're stopped by a train. Hilarious.

2:45 PM Sheba just took me for a walk.

We've started cutting our "Ripple Field."

Just call me Chief Hay Inspector Clouseau.

The weather today is perfect for farming: 78 degrees and a cool breeze.

Hey Tolo Tolo!

Home again, home again!

1:58 PM Did a 5-mile training run just now. My splits were 14:45 (mile 1), 13:38 (mile 2), 12:58 (mile 3), 12:40 (mile 4), and 10:41 (mile 5). This brings my monthly total for June up to exactly 108 miles based on 25 workouts. I'm training hard because one of my sons-in-law is threatening to run with me in Birmingham and I don't want a mere 40-something showing me up. By the way, I've been really emotional today. I discovered a birthday letter Becky left me. It was somehow overlooked when I was cleaning out her desk. There's no way I could ever express to her my love and thanks. So Becky is totally in my head. And so is Jesus. I love them both soooo much.

10:32 AM I Hated Running, Then I Decided to Run. Just in case you're considering becoming a runner.

10:15 AM Just added to my race calendar: The Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL on Feb. 11, 2018. Sweet Home Alabama!

8:38 AM In recent years I've been inspired by saints and dreamers and visionaries. Jody and Henry Neufeld are some of the wisest and most committed Christian publishers I know. You have loved Becky and me in many tangible ways, not least through publishing our books in Spanish. It is such a privilege to work with people committed to the Gospel and passionate about evangelism. Should any of you want to read our books in Spanish, please see Henry's latest post called La traducción de tres libros en español por Energion.

8:12 AM Did you know that students at the College of Charleston can take a class called Sport Physiology and Marathon Training? Bet you'll never guess what the final exam is. You guessed exactly right. Running a marathon. I ask you humbly: How can students take "New Testament" and remain overfed, arrogant, and unconcerned? The U.S. spends more on trash bags than almost half the world spends on all goods combined. This helps me better understand Paul's teaching in 1 Tim. 1:5: "The goal of our instruction is love." I like how The Message puts it: "The whole point of what we're urging is simply love -- love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God."

I'm finally beginning to connect the dots. As an old Scottish proverb puts it: "Greek, Hebrew, and Latin have their proper place, but it's not at head of the cross where Pilate put them, but at the foot of the cross in humble service to Jesus." God is requiring from our New Testament students obedience. Not the kind that is little more than an hour of inconvenience on Sunday morning. The next time there's a Run for Nepal -- a 5K race in Morrisville, NC dedicated to raising funds to rebuild that country after its devastating 2013 earthquake -- I hope hundreds of born-again Jesus freaks will sign up with me. "Broken and poured out for you" is the way Jesus, I think, would put it. Jesus left heaven to come to the foulest place in the universe only to be betrayed by His own. When His followers are asked to do the same thing, they can only hear and obey (hearken). I once asked God to send me to a closed country. I knew it was a dangerous prayer. But I meant it. And He answered. At the very same time, it was glaringly obvious to anyone who took the time to notice that my stateside priorities were far more about me and my scholarly reputation than about God and other people. Richard Rohr writes that "... power, prestige, and possessions are the three things that prevent us from recognizing the reign of God...." (Simplicity, p. 56). The pattern of ascent is so ingrained in our circles that it may be physically painful for some of us to reject it. But if I am to "take the lowest place" (Luke 14:10), I'll need to get off my high horse.

τὸ δὲ τέλος τῆς παραγγελίας ἐστὶν ἀγάπη.

I hate this kind of simplicity. I hate asking to be countercultural, even as an academic. But that's where I am, folks. I am so over upward mobility. I'm ready to join to Jesus at the bottom. And ask my dear students to do the same.

Monday, June 26 

7:54 PM Was a fun day today (except for the time I wasted in Raleigh visiting a doctor I was referred to by mistake). My assistant and I reflected on the shockingly beautiful kingdom and began making the changes to our course syllabus for NT 2 in light of the downward path of Jesus. As you know, true Christianity begins at the bottom, as Jesus (the founder of Christianity, duh) modeled for us. By the end of the course I want my students to be running toward the cross rather than avoiding it at all costs. Alas, how to motivate them? I suppose that's one reason I ordered this book today.

My friend and colleague wrote it. Ken is one of the best Christian educators I know. In many ways he exemplifies the teacher I hope to become one day. I dream of a classroom where students dream of being great not for their scholarship but because they had the humility of a servant. I want them to serve others selflessly and sacrificially. Mind ... heart .... hands. If I didn't grasp this in college, I do now. Jesus unpacks a whole new teaching linked to the way He lived and died. Oh may my students learn to love this broken world as they love themselves!

On an unrelated note, this is the map for the 10K race I plan to run in Dallas this weekend.

After the half marathon, the 10K is my favorite/preferred race distance. It's not as demanding as the half and short enough to push the speed a bit. If you've only done 5Ks, the 10K is the perfect next step. Speed + Endurance!

Time to feed the donks some carrots. (I know. What a life, right?)

7:25 AM Last night around 11:30 a wonderful thought came to me. (Occasionally my brain gets an idea.) God is devoted to us. In fact, so devoted is He that He prophesied through Ezekiel that He would actually place His Spirit within us and cause us to walk in His statutes (Ezek. 36:26-27). He would inaugurate a "better" covenant with His people. In the Old Covenant, when God's presence came, the earth shook. But when the New Covenant came, and God's people were filled with His Spirit, they were filled with joy and boldness. I deeply believe that God wants this freedom for us today. I deeply believe that He wants us to live in the power of the New Covenant, in the power of the Spirit. In the New Covenant we have an abundance of promises that we often either overlook or take for granted. Our generation is so hamstrung with Old Covenant living that we no longer realize God's gifts staring us in the face. As I labored over the syllabus for my NT 2 class this fall (Acts through Revelation), I fretted and agonized over the assignments. As I look at it now, I have to ask myself: If this class is all about New Covenant living, then why is the syllabus so heavy on extrinsic motivation to make the students get their work done? Friend, do you love the law of God? Do you delight in His word? I could cook a meal for days, but unless you want to eat it you won't get any benefit from it. Just because I have a long list of requirements (a lot of "busy work") doesn't mean you want to do them. To be honest, some of my seminary courses back in the 1970s drained me dry. If only the professor had made ruthless cuts. If only he had majored on the majors. The balance beam was too crowded.  People, we learn what we love. Then we combine the best of everything we've learned and conclude: I want to be like that. Now hear me. This doesn't mean that I'm going to throw out my assignments. You will still have to learn everything you need to know about, say, the background, date, authorship, purpose, and structure of Ephesians. But the assignments for which you'll be graded will be much different than that. They will be based on living out the New Covenant-like life that God has called us to and has enabled us to live through His Spirit. Heaven help us if our students are studying class material only to get a grade. The course will still be challenging. You'll get a decent handle on all of the controversial issues surrounding New Testament studies today. But we won't look sideways as much. Our benchmarks will be simplicity and obedience -- much like it was with the Anabaptists of old. Anne Dillard was right when she wrote, "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives" (The Writing Life, p. 32). This is the biblical benchmark I want to use. The New Covenant is applicable everywhere or it isn't applicable anywhere. We are called to this work of New Covenant living. It is rarely big or famous work. Most of the time it's unplanned in fact. Not only can you do hard things for the Kingdom, you can encourage others to do the same by your example.

Here is the truth of the New Covenant (or "New Testament" if you prefer): Compliance to the will of God is by inner desire, not by external compulsion. God's laws are implanted in the very hearts and minds of His people and not merely inscribed on stone. The Holy Spirit residing in each and every believer now provides the basic enlightenment for Christian living. Of course, this doesn't mean that we no longer need teachers. (I happen to be one.) Rather, we teachers at best clarify and unfold the revelation of God that the indwelling Spirit provides through the word. This knowledge is at least possessed in germ form equally by all followers of Jesus. If you're a student, may I suggest a starting place as truth seekers? Be in the word yourself. It is not your teacher's responsibility to tell you everything you need to know about God and His ways. It is not their responsibility to fix every mess or answer every question. (Side note: I recall having lectured for an hour on Philippians in South Korea when a student raised his hand. "Yes, sir, do you have a question?" To which the student replied, "Who was Cain's wife?") In other words, make your front porch (or your bedside table or whatever) an altar to God. Be a self-starter. You can trust God to help you because He has given you His Spirit. Get to know the Book of books in great detail. Commit portions to memory. That way, when you come to class, what you get from us profs will be supplements to (not replacements of) your own time in Scripture. Begin to move away from the "Come to us and we will do it all for you -- lead you, feed you, organize you" mentality of some churches. The more responsibility you take for your own spiritual growth (including growth in knowledge), the healthier you will become. Again, I don't mean to minimize the importance of formal teaching. I'll be doing plenty of that in my class. But under the New Covenant, remember always that you can live a Spirit-filled life without constant management from others.

So today I'll begin tweaking my syllabus for NT 2. It will still be imperfect, I know. And I will still expect students to acquire a large modicum of basic knowledge about the writings of the New Testament. But I'd like to think that we don't need to be babysitted. You and me -- we are New Covenant people. When Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read the words of Isaiah aloud -- "The Spirit of God is upon Me.... He sent Me to preach good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, announce freedom to all captives, pardon to all prisoners..." -- the crowd was incredulous. But that's the kind of kingdom I want to join. When we follow King Jesus, we desire to serve Him. That's because He has put His Spirit into our hearts. Glory be to God.

Sunday, June 25 

6:14 PM Howdy pards! The triathlon in Wake Forest is now history, and I think I've recovered sufficiently to give you a post-race report. To say the race was grueling would be an understatement. I lost 10 pounds during the race. 10 pounds! The easiest part of the race was actually the part I had been freaking out over all week: the swim. But I should have known the old lifeguard instincts would have kicked in once I got into the water. I found myself passing swimmers in front of me at a pretty decent clip. To do this, I had to change from the crawl stroke to the breast stroke simply so that I could see who was in front of me and not stumble into them. (That's a no-no.) The cycling part of the race was, on the other hand, hell on wheels. I mean, my three-inch mountain bike tires were laughable compared to the sleek one-inch tires of the fancy road bikes everyone else seemed to be using. One thing you should know about cyclists: they ride at virtually maximum intensity. Speed, not endurance, is their game. I can't tell you how many times I got passed by cyclists half my size. Still, I gave it my very best shot on what turned out to be a pretty hilly course. Nothing broke down on my bike (I don't think I could ever learn how to fix a bike tire), I had no major injuries, and the vehicular traffic seemed to be trying to exercise caution and patience (though one or two drivers must have hailed from Los Angeles). We cycled on the road, which I NEVER do. Too many drivers fiddling with their cell phones for me to ever feel safe during a road race. The cycling part did, however, have its great moments. I found that a flat-out sprint on a bike could actually be enjoyable -- an experience in how fast I can pump the peddles and how much pain I can endure.

The last leg, the 5K run, would have been a cinch had I not already beaten my body to a pulp. Although my legs were nicely warmed up from the bike ride, they were also quite tired. To tell the truth, I was beginning to feel a little bit fatigued by that point in the race. I was, however, encouraged (in a sadistic sort of way perhaps) to see that I wasn't the only runner out there who wasn't a Lance Armstrong look-alike. Where I was running, most of us looked like everyday, normal people trying to push our limits and have fun while doing it.

My finish stats?

  • Swim: 06:25

  • Cycle: 1:02

  • Run: 36:02

This made my total time 1:50:02 (including transitions 1 and 2). I guess that makes me a "triathlete." Crazy, huh?

Folks, if you want to try a triathlon, jump in. The water's warm (literally). Simply find a race labeled "sprint triathlon" and you'll be good to go. Once you've signed up (and paid the registration fee with your credit card), begin collecting your gear. Nothing fancy, mind you. All you'll need is a good swimsuit, a pair of goggles (I bought mine last night at Wal-Mart), a bike and helmet, and a good pair of running shoes. That's it. Believe me, you'll feel like a kid again. Remember all the running, biking, and swimming you used to do when you were young? Go for it!

Pix:

1) Hauling a bike around can become a huge hassle unless you're prepared. As you can see, one of the main reasons I bought my new Honda Odyssey was the ample room it had for transporting my mountain bike.

2) I showed up at the race site practically before anyone else did, I was just that excited. Someone snapped this pic for me and then I went about putting up my bike and getting my race numbers.

3) Proper body markings for a tri consists of your bib number on each arm. The numbers are written vertically and as legibly as possible.

4) In addition, your age goes on your right calf. Without question the purpose of this number is to humiliate us seasoned citizens. I actually requested that they write "30" on my leg but they insisted on scribbling my "real" age. Seriously, though, there is madness to their method. If you have a strong competitive spirit, you tend to go after the athletes in your own age group. Oddly enough, I don't think I saw anyone older than me on the course, but that's probably because all the "old guys" had long since finished the race.

5) This was a fun and very well organized event, thanks largely to the phenomenal efforts of race coordinate Rebecca. The swag and t-shirts were crazy good, and the night-before-the-race clinic was indispensable for all of us newbies. Rebecca, your "You can do this!" attitude and support made such a difference for me and I'm sure for many others as well. It gave me the confidence to go out and show everyone what I was made of. I loved it all: The volunteers, the cheering crowds, the "water cannon," the super-organized transition area, and the munchies afterwards. A million kudos to you and your staff!

6) Before the race, everyone had to make sure their bikes were properly and securely placed on their assigned bike rack.

7) Some riders racked their bikes facing backward. I placed my bike facing forward with the handle bars and brake levers hooked over the bike rack. I made sure my water bottle was securely fastened to the bike and that my helmet and sunglasses were in a handy spot. It was here that I also left my Garmin during the swim portion of the race since it isn't waterproof.

8) Here's the last picture I took prior to the start of the swimming leg as I had to return my iPhone to my bike rack. Everyone sort of milled around and chatted for an hour or so before the race festivities began. It took about a good hour after the first swimmer started for yours truly to begin swimming his laps.

9) I'm almost too embarrassed to show you these stats because I feel I did REALLY poorly on the cycling leg of the course. I was very blessed that I didn't come in dead last. Swimming is a sport in which technique is supremely important. With cycling, I think you mostly just race. But at least I did get up to 22.6 MPH at one stage in the race -- a long downhill portion, probably.

10) Here are my two favorite parts of any race: the awards ceremony ....

11) ... and the sponsors' display booths. Trust me, these organizations are doing lots of good for people all over the world, and from what I heard today, a whopping $25,000 was raised today for this particular cause.

12) Well, if you've gotten this far with my post-race report, you're probably thinking, "Maybe a triathlon ain't so bad after all." If so, I'll be the first to say a hearty Amen. Perhaps for you, and for hundreds or thousands of other participants, the party is just about to begin.

Grace and peace,

Dave

Saturday, June 24 

12:24 PM Love cutting grass.

Ain't nothin' like a freshly mown lawn.

Also worked on my tan for my August Hawaii trip (hehe). Now I'm off to do some training for my event tomorrow. It's a gorgeous day!

9:14 AM Just three weeks to go until I fly out to Chicago for my next half marathon. Which reminds me: I'm doing this for a reason. Not because I'm a glutton for punishment, but because of the space the Holy Spirit creates in me to keep moving forward with my life. I can no longer default to a couch-potato, mindless, thoughtless, inactive lifestyle. Not if my body is the temple. What does the Holy Spirit want to do with this aging sarx of mine? I really don't know for sure. I do believe he wants me to try and climb Mont Blanc (the tallest Alp) next summer to raise more funds for cancer research. But I'm not going to box Him in. It's one thing to make the decision to live a more healthy lifestyle. It's quite another to act on that decision month after month after month. I told my Greek students (and I really meant it): "There's only one thing worse than never having studied Greek, and that is to have studied it and then gone on to forget everything you learned." As an adult-onset athlete, I have to choose my races carefully lest I overdo it. Like this weekend's triathlon in Wake Forest. At this point I realize I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. Maybe I'll love the event. Maybe I'll hate it. I don't have the foggiest idea what a "transition area" is or what I'm supposed to do in it. (Do bikes with luggage racks count?) For the swim leg I'm starting at the very back of the pack. No doubt that's where I'll end up too. Don't matter. I feel this race is for me. I'll pin on that race number and put myself on the line for the umpteenth time. If I'm tired, I'll just have to find a way to keep on going. If I'm hot, I'll have to figure out how to cool down. I will discover my own struggles, and maybe even breath a word of encouragement to others who are sharing those same struggles. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get through the swim leg without drowning. I even took a picture of the pool yesterday so that I could study the lane configuration.

Oh boy. "Dear Hawaii: I miss you so much. Remember how you and I would swim together every day? Now it's been years since I've done the crawl stroke." It's a good time to tell you I take my limitations seriously. That's why I asked to be placed at the end of the swimming leg. Well, eighth from the end.

Which means there's a likelihood that I'll be last in the bike leg too. And the running leg. If you're there, just look for the old guy babbling uncontrollably as he waddles across the finish line.

Folks, I can't help myself. I have an inexplicable love for the sport of running. I've poured over websites, read heaps of books, celebrated the triumphs of marathon winners. Racing has become a classroom for me. I'm learning my limitations -- and maybe even my potential. So I have a clear dog in this hunt. I am literally running for my life. If my kids bury me early, it won't because I was out of shape. There is something noble about an assembly of people knocking themselves out for the sake of a cheap finisher's medallion. The rules of racing are simple: Get to the starting line and do your dead-level best to finish.

Oh say, did I tell you that the Wake Forest Triathlon was the first triathlon to benefit Smile Train -- the world's largest cleft lip and palate charity? 100 percent of the athlete registration fees go to Smile Train, which provides free care to children in over 85 developing countries. It has performed more than one million surgeries since 1999. See if you can read this story without tearing up.

There is nothing triumphalistic about this approach. Nothing arrogant. It has a simple authenticity that comes from suffering, from showing compassion to the poor, and from the generosity and involvement of donors from all the over the developed world. As Christians, our lips can't proclaim one message and our lives another. These are humbling reflections. We are far too prone to see Christianity as something we do in a church building. It is far more than that. Giving of our time and energy for a cause like this takes us to the very heart of God. Magnetized by God's great gift (2 Cor. 9:15), Christian donors joyfully do what little they can. Praise God for believers with generous hearts. The glory goes to Him. And we get the joy of honestly sharing the Gospel with others both in deed and in word.

P.S. My daughter Jessie sent me this photo earlier.

That's her eldest son at the Farmer's Market this morning. She now reports he's already sold everything and is back home. Way to go Nolan!

Friday, June 23 

8:10 PM Recently I've received text messages from people who were grieving a loss. Grief is a lot of things. It's usually not a fleeting feeling that's here today and gone tomorrow. You can have outward jollity and still have grief. If you are one of these "grief-sufferers," I offer you the following letter.

Dear __________. I am so very sorry for your loss. There is no quick fix to your problem. I say this because our culture has come to expect instant solutions to our personal pressures and daily trials. Maybe sharing from my own experience will be an encouragement to you.

I desire to live my life to the fullest, even though I don't have life all sorted out. My life isn't about "easy answers" or what I call "churchianity" any more. It's all about Jesus and why I follow Him even when I can't make peace with unanswered questions, even when I wrestle daily with all the weirdness and stupidity in the church, even though Becky's passing caused the God I once knew to disappear like steam on a mirror, even as I sort through my own grief and memories. I'm under no illusion that coping with your loss will be easy for you. It will take a lot of rethinking the "promises."

As you may know, I met Jesus during the 1960s. Back then life was simple. We sat around campfires singing "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" surrounded by the waves of the beach and fellow saints attired in mariachi sandals. All of us had long hair then. After all, we wanted to "look like Jesus." Is it any wonder He loved us so much? Then at some point we grew up. Church became important to us again. The Holy Spirit was calling us back to our roots. To us Jesus Freakers, Christ was the glue that bound us together regardless of our church affiliations -- EV Free, Grace Brethren, Calvary Chapel. We gathered with the people we grew up with because we had fallen in love with them again. Our leaving the institutionalized had been an act of defiance. We were determined to become a real New Testament church. So, of course, that's exactly what we didn't become. Later in my life, I began to move into culture -- yes, the secular culture so despised by many in my evangelical subculture. I still listened to countless (mostly boring and ill-prepared) sermons in church, but I also listened to NPR and classic rock and Beethoven. I began to move into the mainstream of culture. Church became more and more of a burden to bear, a game people played, a system of professional advancement, programs to operate, superstardom to attain. There is something disturbing about watching a beautiful butterfly turn into an ugly wart. For years I elevated the Bible to being the fourth member of the Trinity. Not any more. Systematic theology can't heal a wounded soul. In my house on the farm there are boxes of letters I can't bring myself to read. There's a bedroom I can't enter. Becky's things remain untouched. It's all too much for my fragile emotions.

We Christians think that if we ignore our grief it will simply go away. Just when I think I've got my act together, Father's Day comes, or her birthday, or Mother's Day, or our anniversary. This is sacred ground -- this losing someone you love. Now I realize that because Jesus died, all of life can be seen through the cross. I now have a higher view of Scripture than ever. I see light in the darkness, His Light. And in that Light I see hope for grieving Christians -- even for grieving widowers. I have come to firmly believe that all of my life is His, including my heartaches. There is room for all of us in the house of grief. The problem is that we want answers now. We're desperate for some spiritual "fix" that will numb our pain and drive away our tears. "It's easy," you say to yourself. "I'll just read So-and-So's book. Surely that will lift the fog of depression and frustration." Yet the very things we turn to men for are the very things we ought to trust God with. He promises some day to rid the world of every tear, even of death itself. God knows and cares about you. And through your circumstances He's making Himself known. What you can't do, God will do. He'll help you grieve, help you cry, help you to keep trusting Him -- if for no other reason than He's your Daddy. Unwanted grief is a dreadful thing. But each time one of our loved ones dies, surely God cringes. Do you believe He loves you? Well, do you? "Yes" is only a word, but sometimes it makes all the difference in the world. A tough decision? Oh my! But it's a decision that He asks us to make. And whether we like it or not, it's a decision we must make daily.

Want to know what I do when I don't think I can take another step? Cry out to God. At any point God's presence can be extended to us. Unable to do anything else but reach out to this God we blindly trust, He comes to us in our pain. Only Jesus can help us bear the sorrow of loss. All we have to do is take His outstretched hand.

Your friend in Christ,

Dave

3:30 PM Hola amigos! You thought maybe the rapture had occurred, eh? Not really. I've just been busy teaching Greek. I've encountered thousands of students over 40 years of teaching, but this summer school class has been one of the best I've ever taught. Their passion and curiosity about language are contagious. In the past 6 weeks there were good patches and bad patches and on occasion nothing went according to plan. In the final analysis, I've found that all learning is ultimately self-learning. We hear, memorize, and remember selectively. We must all find the path to ourselves with our own minds. But this can happen only if we're willing to take the risk of moving off the spot we're on. So to all my summer Greek students I say: You've done it, and I'm mighty proud of you. All it took to begin was a single step. You were willing to do the work. You were willing, to use an athletic metaphor, to put in the miles, to run in the rain or the heat, to learn to run one day at a time. And I know you will keep running because you know that every step you take is a step in the right direction of becoming more and more who Jesus wants you to be. I can assure you: you're in for the race of your life.

A few pics from the week:

1) On Tuesday night some of my students invited me over for a dinner party. Imagine being offered three different kinds of rice dishes. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Thank you for the treat!

2) This morning I had a cuppa and some pastry at my colleague and friend Tracy's coffee shop in Wake Forest. It's called Back Alley Coffee. Those who know me know I'm not a connoisseur of coffee. On the other hand, I know a good cup of coffee when I taste one. This place had just what I was looking for.

3) Ben Merkle and I are now in the penultimate stages of planning our Greek and linguistics conference. I think we Greek students tend to see Greek studies as something the experts have figured out. Alas, the subject is far more frail, far less adhesive than it seems. As Paul once exhorted the Corinthians, we need to constantly examine ourselves and check up on our progress. There is nothing triumphalistic about the Greek magisterium. "Look at me. I've laid aside deponency!" It's more like a group of private detectives probing here, poking there. So stay tuned for an announcement about the when and where and who of our conference.

4) While we're talking about conferences, here's a blast from the past. It shows President Paige Patterson kneeling before the assembled sages at the first New Testament conference I ever organized on campus back in 2000. Bill Farmer and Eldon Epp are directly in front of the grand genuflector. Can you recognize any of the other scholars?

I am grateful to each of them, each in their own way, for helping me find myself. I love being a member of the academy. My life is richer, fuller, and more satisfying because of it. And the learning just gets better and better. I don't believe I've lived my last, best days. My best days are still out there somewhere, and each and every day that I am alive is an opportunity to find it. The same is true for you, my friend.

Grace to you,

Dave

Monday, June 19 

7:24 AM Good Monday morning to you all! Everyone has their race to run this week. For my summer Greek class (which is in its sixth and final week), we've got the subjunctive and imperative moods to cover, plus 1 John. In addition, today we're looking at the art and science of textual criticism. As for me, the Chicago Half Marathon is only 20 days away.

My heart is singing! I could spend hours upon hours sharing my thoughts with you about this race. There's nothing more motivating for success than a huge challenge. After Saturday's race I have a new-found confidence that I'm where I need to be right now.

This weekend, by the way, was tough on me emotionally, as holidays always are without Becky by my side. Today, though, I feel fantastic, so you can put those violins away. As with running, life keeps chugging along and you take the good days with the bad ones. This weekend the Father reminded me (again) that I'm not just another insignificant 8-digit code. Rather, my name (MY NAME!) is written in His book of life. A more wonderful thought is hard to imagine.

One last note. Einstein is supposed to have said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Here's a page from a book on the Greek perfect tense I was intending to review for publication.

I stopped when I saw what the author did with the Greek. I'm sure he must have thought, "No big deal." Well .... In a doctoral dissertation, you had better use a Greek font if you want me to read it, simply because I can't read Greek in transliteration any more than I can blog without mentioning running. Are you listening?

Sunday, June 18 

4:36 PM Yesterday I ran the "Race 13.1" Half Marathon in Roanoke, VA. I thought I'd share some of my photos and thoughts from the race since so many of you can't wait for my race reports (ha-ha). Besides, this is about the only way I know how to memorialize my life for my great-great grandchildren who will be mightily bored when they read about my exploits. As you know, I started the month in terms of my marathon training by running in the Raleigh Half Marathon two weeks ago. I finished the race with a respectable time of 2:36 if I recall. Yesterday, the same outfit put on the race in Roanoke -- which meant the same set up, the same DJ, the same music, the same style of bibs and medals, etc. I drove to the venue Friday night so that I could get up early on Saturday morning in time to grab my race bib and warm up for the race. I stayed in a very nice hotel that was located directly across the street from the course, which is always convenient. The hotel staff included a Greek receptionist named Ari (short for Aristotle) who was, I think, a bit taken aback that I could speak his own language with him. The course we ran is famous for its hills and stunning scenery along the city's famous Roanoke River. It's the longest distance I've ever "run" in my life -- as in running without stopping to walk. Boy did that feel good. I couldn't have done it without two things. First, I trained for the race ahead of time. I worked like a dog to prepare my legs and lungs for the rigors of the race, and yesterday I got to enjoy the fruit of my labor. At the starting line, I took a deep breath, relaxed my muscles, let go of all of my worries and cares, and focused entirely on the race. Secondly, I ran with a group of runners that kept spurring me on. I joined the 2:45 pace team that was led by a volunteer (and Marine Corps officer) named Mac. Mac constantly encouraged us to meet our goal of 2:45. In fact, near the end of the race I had just enough zest in my legs to push ahead and beat that time, though not by very much. Mac, as I said, was a great pacer. He had run the course before and knew where every hill and turn was, when we could expect the next water stop, etc. Running with him allowed me to focus on the present and not to obsess about mile markers, timing, pacing, etc.

Here are a few takeaways from yesterday's race I thought you might enjoy reading:

1) Regular running builds discipline and character. In other words, success breeds more success. You'd be surprised to find out what you can accomplish when you take control over your mind. (Greek students take note!)

2) I can't thank the race organizers enough for arranging plenty of water stops and the post-race pizza as well. The entire event was extremely well organized and full of energy, swag, and comradery.

3) Never underestimate the value of a mini weekend vacation. It was awesome to just gel in a swanky hotel for 2 days. It felt like I was a million miles from Wake Forest and the farm. The price of the hotel even included two home-cooked breakfasts.

4) "Slow and steady finishes the race." You see, every part of my body has changed in the past few years through exercise. I've been working hard to develop muscular skills that allow me to walk, bike, hike, run, climb, surf, and even compete in long-distance races. I'm nowhere where I want to be, but I feel that yesterday's race represented an important milestone in my progress that will help me set even higher goals for myself in the future.

5) Some of the best things I've accomplished in life have happened since Becky passed away. I so wish she were here to enjoy them with me. There's a lifestyle change when you get involved in running. But the change is sweeter when it's shared with others. If you don't have an accountability partner, you will often fall victim to your own excuses, most of which are pretty lame. I've learned so much about myself through running, not least that (a) I'm a slow runner and (b) I have a hard time running in distance races (anything over a 10K). At the same time, I'm very stubborn, and being stubborn isn't all bad. This is what drove me to do my second half marathon in the span of 2 weeks. With my focus and stamina improving monthly, I think next month's Chicago Half will be a good test of my commitment.

6) Yesterday, when I woke up at an indecently early hour, I knew I was ready for the race. My finish time wasn't a PR, but still I had a great time. Going into this race I tried to use my experience of running 5 half marathons to my advantage. Thanks to YouTube, I was familiar with the course. I was expecting a long downhill in the middle of the race -- which meant, of course, that I'd be running back up that hill later. Maybe it was the cool weather and the overcast skies, but I felt better and stronger as the race went on. For the first time in my brief career as a half-marathoner I didn't feel like I was dying after mile 8. The last mile was, in fact, the fastest mile of the race. Approaching the finish line, I was actually disappointed that the race was over. I ended up completing the race with a time of 2:43.

7)  Now that I have 6 halves under my belt, I think I might have some insight into how this "running" thing works. As I crossed yesterday's finish line, I thanked my heavenly Dad that on this Father's Day weekend I could reach my goal. I accepted my finisher's medal, picked up my second place medal, chatted with my fellow runners, and realized once again that there's no "secret" to long distance running, just as there's no "secret" to mastering New Testament Greek. You can only run as fast as your training allows you to. I was happy with my efforts yesterday. I know I gave it all I had. I so want to live the rest of my days that way. I know I've made many mistakes along the way, both in running and in life, but I've got plenty of things to be grateful for.

Well, if you've had the patience to read this whole thing, you're the one who deserves a medal! I close with a few pix:

1) My weekend pad.

2) Mac is da man!

3) Woohoo! Beat 2:45!

4) My mile splits. Go, Dave, go!

5) Roanoke's famous "Star."

6) The city and the distant Blue Ridge are lovely.

7) Roanoke is famous for its architecture.

8) Feels like I'm in Switzerland. 

9) I attended here this morning.

10) The first hymn we sang was "For the Cause" -- which was commissioned for the Gettys by our own Danny Akin!

11) "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak" (Isa. 40:29).

Friday, June 16 

4:56 PM Photo Friday:

1) One of our grads is heading back to the Philippines. Her mom and dad are here helping her pack. Hope you enjoy the books!

2) Did almost 7 miles at Umstead Park in Raleigh yesterday.

3) Beautiful place to hike!

4) Today I finally bit the bullet and got a pedicure before tomorrow's big race. As if they needed one!

Make it a great weekend!

Wednesday, June 14 

7:28 AM Too funny! Too true!

Tuesday, June 13 

7:48 PM I love work. I can watch it all day. Like, for example, when my assistant Noah taught our Greek class today.

Oh my! Participles! Yikes!

Or when my summer Greek student Adam helped us get up hay today.

(That was so fun.) Why, I even did some work myself today. (I need approval desperately.)

Right now it's time to settle in with a good book and chillax. Which is hard work for me.

Later!

7:25 AM Yesterday Chip Hardy and I met at Red Robin to discuss the student evaluations of our LXX course last semester and we made several (we hope) positive changes in our syllabus for the next go-around.

I love teaching this class with Chip (Ph.D., University of Chicago). We both view the classroom as an altar, a place where we can provoke one another on to careful exegesis of the biblical text. And speaking of exegesis, I just finished reading Stan Porter's marvelous chapter called "The Grammar of Obedience: Matthew 28:19-20" in his book Linguistic Analysis of the Greek New Testament and will be sharing the results of Porter's analysis with my Greek class today, where we've already argued that "Go" should probably be "Going" because this keeps the focus on the main verb, "Make disciples of all nations" and its concomitant modal participles: "baptizing" and "teaching." As Stan so eloquently puts it, "The notion of going (to make disciples), rather than being grammatically prominent, is the background to the command to make disciples, realized by the finite verb in the Predicator of the primary clauses." He then concludes: "The making of disciples involves the public witness of baptism followed by and mirrored in a life of Christian obedience" (p. 253). Think of it: In the book of Acts, you got saved and got wet. Baptism preceded instruction -- unlike some places in Africa I've been where a long period of catechism and probation precedes the waters of baptism. Thank you, Stan, for reminding us of the importance of the first step of obedience in the Christian life -- following Jesus in the waters of baptism as our public profession of faith in Him.

More on this later ....

Monday, June 12 

10:04 PM We worked from 4:30 to 9:00 this evening.

A student from my summer Greek class was a HUGE help by driving the truck for us while we picked up hay. A million thanks, Brett!  

If I were to pare my life down to the bare essentials, to what is good, what is beautiful, what is life-giving, I believe it would include working with my own hands. Thank you, Lord of the harvest, for this wonderful blessing.

7:12 AM Having reread Noah Kelley's excellent overview of the Greek perfect tense in recent discussion, I decided I had to purchase this hefty tome.

Now if I can just find the time to read it. Meanwhile ....

Today marks the beginning of our fifth week of Greek class. What does that mean? It means that students will be getting an earful of participles, infinitives, subjunctives, imperatives, and a healthy dose of 1 John. Phew! Here I thought that things were going to get easier! I think the class is a bit tired but we're having fun. I often think back to my own experience in Greek classes at Talbot. What I experienced had a profound influence on my life and  ministry. One prof in particular was known for the combination of academic scholarship, evangelistic passion, and truly world-wide perspective. He was an inspiration and guiding light and I will never forget him. Oh to be that to my students!

This weekend my poor students were asked to read my little book called Using New Testament Greek in Ministry. I hope it will challenge them to emulate the passion of the great teachers of the church in years gone by. I have long ago lost count of the students, full of enthusiasm when they graduated, who became frustrated by a schedule that would not allow them to maintain a working knowledge of Greek. Everything is dictated by the tyranny of the urgent. This is a tendency so reprehensible and so far from the discipline required of a teacher that I have fought against it long and hard. What good, however, is it to study something and then proceed to forget it? Greek instruction is critical. But so is using Greek in one's personal life and ministry. Dedicated students set their sights on nothing less, and it is happening, though not as often as I would wish. We will see how things pan out in the next half century. Of course, I won't be here to see it!

Sunday, June 11 

9:35 PM Had a nice hike today in one of my favorite state parks.

The trail was deserted except for me and the wildlife.

Do you pronounce this "Am-phee-theater" or "Am-pee-theater"?

If the latter, then welcome to Grassmann's Law! Afterwards I got up hay with Nate and then pigged out on Mexican cuisine. Now it's time to settle in with Free As a Running Fox.

Bis Morgen....

7:28 AM Good morning everyone! First order of business: Report on the-best-birthday-party-I've-ever-had-in-my-65-years-of-living. It all started when two of my sons-in-law "kidnapped" me and drove me to the cemetery to visit Becky's grave. We prayed, read Scripture, and reminisced. (Okay, one of us also bawled like a baby.) Then it was back to the farm, which by now had been magically transformed into a Hawaiian beach scene with slack-key guitar music, waving palm trees, tiki torches, and leis for the bunch. I was completely taken by surprise. I felt like I was at a hukilau!

I watched while my kids and grandkids bantered and played and got caught up. I loved it. I had a lot of happy and productive chats. This morning I jotted down some life lessons that occurred to me this past year:

  • Nothing beats a loving home atmosphere.

  • If you want to be happy, do good to others.

  • Always risk making a complete fool of yourself.

  • Remember that not getting what you want can be a blessing in disguise.

  • Worship can never be shunted off to a one-hour time on Sunday morning.

  • Every year, visit a place you've never been before.

  • Relationships are so very fragile.

  • Keep in step with the Spirit at all times.

  • Play hard.

  • Give more than you get.

  • Stop trying to fix the ones you love.

  • Avoid assumptions.

  • If you haven't had a major crisis in life, you're probably very young.

  • Do something you love with your life.

Well, it was quite a day yesterday, one I will not soon forget. I don't feel old. I feel like a 30-year old. I'm committed to developing my body and soul to levels they've never reached in the past. My health has never better thank the Lord. I have a new zest for living. I am the me I have always been and perhaps even a better one. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family that loves me. It does no good to live in regrets for the past or in sadness about loved ones who have passed on. Life is the quest. We can have a rebirth no matter how old we are. My birthday this week is simply the beginning of the process -- still ongoing -- of becoming the person God wants me to be. All praise to Him!

A thousand thanks to everyone who made yesterday such a special day in my life. As I watched you cheering each other on and calling forth the best in one another, I realized, This is what families are for. We point each other to God and call out His blessedness. This is our life together. I love you so much.

Saturday, June 10 

2:50 PM Greek is humbling. We've had only 4 weeks of summer Greek and already we've touched on leadership, ecclesiology, the Lord's Supper (not Snack), baptism, and a myriad of other topics. Leadership is not so much a status; it's a way of life. The church is a New Testament concept; it can't be based on concepts of holy people doing holy things in holy places. For all of our talk about the Lord's Supper, we miss its real import: to keep the gathering Christocentric (rather than pulpit-centric or anthropocentric). Paul warned the Corinthians what he warns us today: Take heed lest you fall. A truly apostolic church cares less about how to "do" church and more about obeying Jesus' simple teachings. It honors and respects His commands. Thus Greek, if correctly used, affords us an opportunity to dig deep into the text and perhaps allows us to discover some long-forgotten truth. J. I. Packer makes this wonderfully plain in a quote one of my daughters shared with me this morning:

... anyone who deals with souls will again and again be amazed at the gracious generosity with which God blesses to needy ones what looks to us like a very tiny needle of truth hidden amid whole haystacks of mental error.

I'm already seeing this happen in my Greek class. Little lights come on, tiny needles are discovered. My prayer is that my students will ask the Holy Spirit to show them what they need to know in order to become lowly servants in His kingdom. Let Greek play its proper role in this process.

7:45 AM Whoa ... words spewing out of my computer. Must mean I'm not exhausted yet from all the celebrating. It's been a great birthday weekend so far:

1) The haying weather was perfect last night.

2) Then a late dinner with the Glass family.

3) Oh -- please help us welcome "Chigger Yellem" ("No Problem") to the farm. (All of our donks have Ethiopian names.) He was born on my birthday.

I absolutely love everything about my life. My zany family. The perfect summer weather we're enjoying. My incredibly diverse interests. But what I'm most happy about is how the Lord gives me strength to face every new day with hope and optimism, despite some pretty hard blows in the past few years. I still sometimes reflect on Becky's passing and know my life still aches without her. If your soul aches too, my friend, I believe your sorrow can increase your capacity to live well and love well. Losing Becky wedded brokenness and love together in my life. Her life was a pure gift to me. So was her loss. "Till our grief is fled and gone, He doth sit by us and moan." These words were written by a Puritan after one of his children died. It's what I believe, and what I will continue to believe until I go to the grave.

But enough of this introspection. Sheba, let's go feed the donkeys some carrots.

Friday, June 9 

4:58 PM Today's bricolage.

1) As always, it's great to be back on the farm, but it was really special to drive up and find my daughter and her family at Maple Ridge. They drove all the way from Alabama.

2) In honor of my 65th birthday (today) and Global Running Day (Wednesday), I ran 32 miles this week. (That's because I don't feel older than a 32-year old.) Of course, that's nothing compared to this: 94 Year-Old Woman Breaks Half Marathon World Record. Inspiring!

3) Here I am crossing last Saturday's half marathon finish line. The thrill of victory and the agony of de feet!

4) I like this pic even better. It shows our 2:30 pace team. I'm cracking up at all the jokes they're telling. We were running an 11-minute mile pace. Tiring but manageable. Everyone is sopping wet.

I give pace team leaders a lot of credit. They've got tons of responsibility. We depend on them to help us reach our goal. We look to them for leadership. Carrying that "2:30" sign is a badge of honor. The Chicago Half Marathon is just 5 weeks away and the big question is: Should I race with a pace group again? I had a great experience last Saturday with one. The pacers were very experienced and superb leaders. They reminded us when to prepare for an upcoming hill, when to slow down or speed up, when to take a deep relaxation breath, etc. I think this time I'll start with a pace group slower than my goal (2:45?) and use them to keep me going easy for the first 9 miles. If the pacers end up going faster than I want, I’ll just drop behind and run at my own pace. If, by mile 10, my tank is still somewhat full, I'll try and sprint to the finish line. I'll need to talk to the pacers before the race to see if they believe in even or negative splits, if they slow down and walk through the aid stations, if they've run this race before, etc.

5) Last night I read this 817-page doctoral dissertation! Ph.D. students of mine: don't you dare get any ideas!

6) Parse this verb. (Hint: It's an imperative.)

7) My friend Moisés from Santo Domingo likes our grammar in Spanish!

8) Checked this out from our library last night.

Lookie here.

Holladay nails Hebrews. Love it. Like, LOVE IT. The dam is beginning to burst, folks. History is about to reverse itself.

9) My next surf-cation is August 3-11. Not all surfing trips to Hawaii are winners. The waves can be flat, or the weather can be too stormy to catch anything but slop. That said, surfers are the most optimistic people I've ever met. Even if the ocean is completely flat, as in snorkeling conditions, we'll sit on our boards and wait ... and wait ... and wait .... 

Even if a wave never arrives we can still say we "surfed" that day. Who knows, maybe we should have waited just a little bit longer ....?

10) Haying time!

Monday, June 5 

5:50 AM "This week in Greek": Finish the middle and passive voices; review the entire indicative mood; move on to the third declension (easy cheesy), participles (no problemo), and the infinitive (to study or not to study the infinitive is not an option). The biggest mistakes students make are:

  • Failing to be able to read Greek aloud. (English pronunciation is much harder than Greek.)

  • Forgetting their paradigms.

  • Looking at the word (rather than the morpheme) as the minimal unit of meaning in language.

  • Believing that immersion means speaking Greek with a native Koine speaker. (There ain't none.)

  • Getting frustrated when listening to the smart guys recite Greek. (Be yourself. Do your best. Race at your own speed. Remember 1 Cor. 12:6: "God is the one who works all things in all people," so there's no need ever to compare yourself with anyone else. Trust Him for the results.)

  • Believing that it has to be hard. (Greek grammar is actually very logical and perfectly learnable. It's us teachers who most often get in the way.)

  • Failing to focus on the big picture. (As in: THE GOAL. It isn't just using Greek to help you read a commentary. It's to be able to read and understand the text without even translating it.)

Friend, if you're struggling to learn Greek, you're not alone. I lasted a mere three weeks in my beginning class at Biola before dropping. Way over my head! A year later, I was teaching 11 units of Greek at the same university. To master Greek, your brain is required to work in brand new ways, such as constructing new cognitive frameworks. Take a tip from an old geezer: Focus on your goals. Enjoy moments of fresh discovery. Get surrounded (there are many teachers who are using my grammar. Check them out on YouTube when you need a change of pace.) Make peace with your imperfections and/or lack of language aptitude. At the same time, no excuses! What matters in the long run is not aptitude but commitment!

Sunday, June 4 

5:34 PM We live in a culture that provides us with a multitude of opportunities to be active. Fitness is literally a moving target. Picking up hay, like I did today, is a good example of what I'm talking about. Out in the field it's just you, your trailer, and your will. Haying is elementary, elegant in its simplicity.

And here's the funny thing. Even though I did a 13.1 mile race yesterday, my legs never felt better -- or stronger. They had no problem at all trudging from one bale to the next. That truly is the paradox of running, as every runner knows. The more you stay active, the more your body wants to be active. Of course, there are days when haying is easy and there are days when it's harder. But today was pure joy and delight. Before getting up hay, I mowed. The day was perfect for it. Here's my old mower.

But it's never worked better. And that's because I recently had new mower blades installed on it. Other people sharpen theirs. But everyone knows that unless you have sharp blades, your lawn will not look very good. At any level of life, we need to stay sharp. When we get dull, things don't go as well. Greek students know what I'm talking about. How easy it is for us to allow our Greek to fall into disrepair and disuse. No amount of money or status can compensate for sloth or inactivity. Truth is, for many of us, it's time to sharpen our "Greek blades." And there's many ways we can go about doing this. I see that Todd Scacewater's offering a Greek review course. Michael Halcomb's doing the same. Or just grab any intermediate grammar and dig in. Sooner or later, you'll get caught back up -- if you are diligent.

Well, it's time to cook supper and prepare my meals for the week. Just so you know that my life's not all work and labor, here's a picture of the classic car show that our fair city of Clarksville put on this weekend.

Can't you just see me in this red convertible roadster!  

1:05 PM Do you enjoy what you're doing? You can! Read my latest essay, The Joy of Running.

8:20 AM Miscellaneous thoughts before heading out for my Sunday activities:

1) Looking forward to another great week of teaching Greek plus continuing my training for the Chicago Half Marathon. The weather this week will be lovely -- which means time for lots of yard work as well. My birthday is on Friday, and there's a rumor floating around that my family is planning on "surprising" me with a party on Saturday. WOOHOO!

2) I want to give a word of thanks to all the volunteers who staffed yesterday's race in Raleigh. These are some incredible people. The leaders of our pace team always allowed us to stop at the water tables (if for only 20 seconds) to wet our whistles and catch our breath. Badly needed, I must say! By the time we back-of-the-packers arrive, there's usually more water than anyone knows what to do with, so it's okay to take more than one cup. I always try and thank every one of the workers I can. We high-five each other as they shout encouragement. As I've continued to race, I've come to appreciate these selfless servants more and more. Thank you, volunteers!

3) Been getting gobs of requests these days for our Greek DVD series. I'm so glad God is using these videos to help self-starters learn this fabulous language. The idea of recording my lectures in Addis back in 2005 was Becky's idea, and she gets the credit. I'll be forever grateful for her and her partnership in the Gospel during 37 years of marriage. 

4) My assistant and I spent an hour last week planning my new course syllabi for the fall, including a new syllabus both for my Greek Syntax and Exegesis course and for my New Testament 2 course. I like to think that I never teach the same class twice. I'm always trying to make improvements based both on student feedback and my own intuition. Noah's insights and suggestions as a current student are invaluable in this process. I think you'll enjoy the changes we've made. There's a bit less busy-work and more student participation.

5) Across the Atlantic has been featuring a discussion of the style of Matthew's Gospel and the relevance (if any) this has on the synoptic problem. Everyone who knows me knows that I believe that issues of style are moot when it comes to the synoptic problem. Mark's stylistic peculiarities, for example, prove neither this Gospel's priority nor its posteriority. It's the external evidence that's probative, friends!

6) Finally, THANK YOU for visiting my blog today. I know you didn't "have to." DBO is now in its 14th year. When we started blogging there was no Face Book or Twitter or Instagram or YouTube. My site has given me satisfaction plus lots of new friends. DBO is nothing fancy. It's just me and my thoughts. Some people complain about blogging. Not me. Yes, it's like having another part-time job. But you know the saying: Do what you like and you'll never work a day in your life. So thank you, everyone, for your readership and support, and here's to another post, and another, and another ....

Dave

Saturday, June 3 

4:48 PM Just checked my Map My Run app. Here's the monthly workout summary for May:

  • Workouts: 21

  • Duration: 26.7 hours

  • Calories: 149,000

  • Total miles: 99.2

What a crazy month it was. Many days I couldn't work out because I was haying (which is not a bad thing, of course). I also began teaching summer school. Still, I managed to get in a decent number of training hours. If I can maintain this schedule, maybe I'll be ready for Mont Blanc next July (which, Lord willing, will be my next fund-raising project). Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and definitely one of the hardest to climb. If you'd like to watch my mountain guide, Walter Rossini, climb this peak, go here. It's a beautiful setting!

4:30 PM Yesterday I was privileged to present a check for $7,000.00 to UNC Cancer Hospital. Here's Victoria Bae-Jump (Ph.D. and M.D.), whose cutting edge research seeks to explain the relationship between obesity and endometrial cancer. She's already put last year's donation of $25,000 to good work in phase 2 of her study. What a joy to be able to leverage my Alps climb last year and my marathon this year for something so worthwhile. Go Tarheels!

4:22 PM Today I ran my fifth half marathon (since competing in my first one a year ago) and it was awesome! I trained carefully for this event by sticking to two or three running days per week. The conditions for the race could hardly have been better. We started out in about the 65 degree range at 7:15 this morning. And much of the course was shaded. In fact, everything about the event -- packet pickup, aid stations, finish line festival and food -- went smoothly and easily. As I said, my first half marathon was exactly one year ago, on this same course, so my goal today was to try and beat my course record of 2:48. After the race briefing and a warm-up, we were off. I decided to run with the 2:30 team, which was made up of mostly middle-aged women, some of whom were doing their first half. For the first couple of miles they bantered with each other (they were funny!), but eventually everyone quieted down as we knew this was serious business! I did fine until around the 10 mile marker.

At this point the 2:30 pace team began to pull away from me despite my best efforts to keep up with them. I was running just as hard as before but for some reason I simply began to slow down. At one point I started walking. Say what?? Legs, I didn't say you could walk!! Eventually I began to shuffle again. I crossed the finish line with nothing left in the tank and a new PR on this course of 2:35! I can clearly remember the last hill. Ugh. It seems I have a knack for picking races that end up being hilly. Well, running sure keeps you humble. As for the race in general, I felt pretty controlled and comfortable for most of the course. I was really happy to be part of a race group that encouraged one another. Every time I hit one of the aid stations I was ready to cool off. I would take a cup of water and pour it over my head, then take two or three cups and drink the contents. I ended up racing about four minutes slower than I had hoped for, but I'm more than okay with the end result. There's always something to be learned during a race, even on the not-so-great days. It was a grand event and definitely one I'd like to do again. Onward to my next half marathon in Chicago on July 16!

Friday, June 2 

9:54 PM The headline this morning on the WRAL website read: "Decreasing humidity, clear skies lead into pleasant weekend." That's really great news! Especially because I had to get hay up this evening and I have another race in the morning. Oh, did I tell you that my very first triathlon is now on the calendar? It's in Wake Forest on June 25. I'm sure it'll be more challenging than I can imagine. I have no idea what to aim for but I'm setting the (modest) goal of finishing the same day as the race. Here's what it involves:

  • 250-meter pool swim

  • 12-mile bike ride

  • 3.1-mile run

In order to stagger the starting times, racers have to enter their anticipated time for the swimming leg when they register. I put down the maximum time allowable: 99.99 minutes! Believe me, for my first tri I'm happy to start at the very back of the pack. It's not that I'm a terrible swimmer. Did tons of it while growing up in Hawaii and when I was a swimming instructor and lifeguard in California during my college days. But it's been years since I've done laps in a pool on a regular basis. As for the biking leg of the race, I'm a bit more confident of my ability since I've peddled 26.2 miles nonstop on two different occasions. I imagine, though, that by the time the running leg of the event begins, I'll be ready for the race to be OVER. I honestly don't know why I'm doing this race. A triathlon was never on my bucket list. I guess you could say I signed up on a whim. After all, how awful can it be? (Well ....) I've heard that your first swim in a tri is the most nerve-wracking experience ever. Thankfully this leg of the race is in a pool and not in the open water. I'm 23 days out, which means that I still have time to go to the pool and get some lap swimming in. But I'm not about to go overboard and buy a TT bike or an Aero helmet. This is just a test to see if I like this event or not. It's going to be another test of endurance for sure.

Speaking of exercise, I recently heard about a park in Wake Forest that's been there forever and yet I'm just beginning to use it for my running. It's called Joyner Park and is about a 5-minute drive from campus.

I can't imagine a more convenient or beautiful venue for doing anywhere from 3-6 miles at a pop.

In other news, I'm so thankful for these endorsements that just came in for my forthcoming book Siete marcas de una iglesia neotestamentaria:

De ves en cuando se necesita ver la iglesia neotestamentaria para compararle con nuestras iglesias de hoy. Dave Black nos ha dado esa vista en su libro Siete marcas de una iglesia neotestamentaria. En una manera bíblica y clara nos hace ver la manera en que la iglesia neotestamentaria actua, y nos pone un modelo bíblico para nuestras iglesias. Aquí se encuentra lo más básica de la iglesia de Cristo, y nos ayuda para establecer y crecer iglesias bíblicas. Lo recomiendo como un libro principal para los que estamos como pastores y lideres du Su santa iglesia.

Alex Montoya, Pastor de First Fundamental Bible Church, Whittier, CA.

En estos días cuando la iglesia muchas veces se ha convertido a un centro de diversión, es muy importante de revisar las siete marcas básicas de la iglesia que vemos en Hechos 2:37–47. Este libro es fácil de entender con muchos ejemplos personales. Lo recomendó para estudio bíblico de grupos Cristianos en todas iglesias.

Dra. Aida Besançon Spencer, Profesora del Nuevo Testamento, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Thanks Alex and Aida!I hope you'll tell all of your Spanish-speaking friends about this book.

Let's see ... what else shall I mention? Brain fade has set in! Oh yeah, on Tuesday I took the grandkids to Chuck E Cheese to help them celebrate their graduation from kindergarten (Caleb), first grade (Rachel), and third grade (Nathan). We all had a blast.

Well, I think that's going to have to be the extent of my update for tonight. I need to get to bed as I'm dead tired. I worked until 8:30 tonight getting up hay. And I have a half marathon in Raleigh tomorrow morning at 7:15. Running is so much fun. It's also good for you. It helps you lose weight, have a healthier lifestyle, relieve your stress, and lower your cholesterol. But mostly running is about discovering the joy you experience when you move your body with your own two feet.

Make it a great weekend!

Dave

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