"Ed, the Beloved Physician"

“Ed, the Beloved Physician”

 

During our years in Manchester I had the opportunity to work with many godly and committed church leaders. One of these memorable colleagues was Dr. Ed Child, one of the most capable and respected physicians in southern New Hampshire. He had a great resume of qualifications, achievements, and honors but professionally and spiritually always served with humility and grace. When meeting a new attendee at church he would simply introduce himself as Ed Child. As a member of Southside’s Worship Team no one was more earnest in preparation, dependability, or accountability (he would always let Karen know if he wouldn’t be present at practice or on Sunday). And even though his knowledge of Scripture was almost encyclopedic no one was more diligent in taking notes when the Word was taught. He also epitomized the role of an elder (a position he held faithfully for some 20 years) by “…not lording it over those entrusted to (him) but being (an example) to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:3).

The Lord took Ed Home on February 14, 2009. I was privileged to conduct his memorial service before many family members, friends, and colleagues a few days later. I chose as my text “Luke, the beloved physician….” (Colossians 4:14, KJV) and emphasized the many parallels I saw in their lives. Both Luke and Ed were men of great intelligence (Luke wrote the most polished Greek of the New Testament; Ed by his education and practice stood tall among his colleagues), compassion (both closely followed the Hippocratic Oath), dedication (Luke accompanied Paul on parts of his missionary journeys; Ed traveled to several countries to train those involved in medical missions), and conviction (both represented Jesus well and made Him look good). And both left a great legacy to future generations. In short, they were grateful for what God had done for and through them, generous with their time and resources, and godly in living out their faith.

Paul identified his faithful coworker as “Luke, the beloved physician….” (Colossians 4:14, KJV). Karen and I, along with hundreds of other family, friends, colleagues, and patients, remember Ed Child as “Ed, the beloved physician.” May we all learn from and follow his godly example.

Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Our Place in the Dictionary"

“Our Place in the Dictionary”

(This was originally written for the bulletin at our New Hampshire church, Southside Bible Fellowship. Each of us can put in our own church’s name—or even our own name—and ask God to help us live up to it.)

 

During the first half of the 19^th century a suburb of Dublin, Ireland hosted an area fair. However, as time went on it became better known for its fights than its agricultural and home displays to the point that town officials closed it down in 1855. The name of the town was Donnybrook, which has taken its place in the dictionary with the definition “brawl, free-for-all.”

In Acts 8 we read about a man named Simon (not to be confused with Simon Peter or any of the other seven Simons mentioned in the New Testament) who attempted to buy the power of imparting the Holy Spirit to others from the apostles and was soundly rebuked. His name has found its way into Mr. Webster’s masterpiece, which gives “simony” the meaning “buying or selling of a church office.”

In the church’s early days those who believed in Jesus were usually called disciples, a term meaning pupils. Since there were many teachers students began to be known by the names of their masters. Not surprisingly, then, those who followed Christ began to be called Christians (Acts 11:26). Probably used in a derogatory sense at first, it became complimentary because of the godly life-style of those so identified and the dictionary still reflects this meaning (“showing the qualities associated with Christ’s teachings”).

Suppose the word “southsideness” showed up in the next edition of this handy reference tool (in the one I use it would fall between southpaw and southward). How would it be defined based on what we display? You and I are determining this for future generations by our actions today. By God’s grace may the meaning be, as described in our motto, “Building one another up to reach out with God’s love.”

Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Basin Theology"

"Basin Theology”

 

Bible colleges specialize in teaching the principles of Scripture to prepare people for ministry. Among the requirements are classes in theology, in which the beliefs of our Christian faith are presented topically so students can be “…prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks (them) to give the reason for the hope that (they) have.” (1 Peter 3:15). Sometimes the introductory course is called “Basic Theology”, in which the foundational truths about God, His Word, and His world are explored.

Whether we’re in a formal classroom setting or not, all of us as God’s people need to know the basics of biblical teaching. But there’s an area which sometimes suffers from a lack of emphasis: “Basin Theology.” Jesus modeled this in John 13 when “…He poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet….” (Verse 5). He then explained “Basin Theology” in this way: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (Verses 14-15). So basic theology involves the key tenets; basin theology is living them out in love and service to Him and those around us. Since Jesus taught both we must not only believe correctly but live consistently.

As we grow in our faith our basic biblical convictions are to become more and more a part of us. But we can’t neglect basin theology because that’s what those around us see and by which they evaluate the reality of Jesus in our lives (“By this all…will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”—John 13:35). Our New Hampshire Youth Pastor used an open Bible and towel in a basin to picture this dual responsibility for our teens, which soon found its way to the table at the front of our auditorium to remind all of us that we must believe and behave correctly.

It’s time to get back to basics---and basins!

 

Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"The Spin Cycle"

“The Spin Cycle”

(Thanks to Karen for the title)

 

Former NBA player “Hot Rod” Hundley once said, “My biggest thrill in basketball was combining with (Hall of Famer) Elgin Baylor for 73 points in a game.” A senator running for reelection claimed, “I voted with (his state’s fellow senator who was very popular with the constituency) more than 90% of the time.” And during the Cold War Pravda, the official “newspaper” of Communist Russia, is said to have reported on an international track meet, “Our Russian comrades finished second, the Americans finished next to last.”

What do these three incidents have in common? In each case the speaker or writer stopped short of (to borrow the late news commentator Paul Harvey’s phrase) “the rest of the story.” Here’s the completion of each anecdote:

     “Elgin had 71 of them.” (Hundley was known for his sense of humor.)

     The votes included adjournments, postmaster appointments, recognitions, and other relatively minor matters. He voted differently on almost all issues of substance. (The speaker lost the election.)

     The meet was a dual one in which the US bested the USSR. (Ironically, “Pravda” means “truth” in Russian.)

These accounts illustrate how the spin cycle is alive and well and can misrepresent facts and mislead many, usually to try to gain an advantage in some way.

We as God’s people must be careful not to allow someone’s spin cycle to distort what the Scriptures say. This can be done by cherry picking statements, taking verses (or parts of them) out of context, changing the meanings of words to fit one’s agenda, and likely numerous other methods. For example, the Bible says, “…There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1). But before we say it teaches atheism let’s read the whole verse: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Quite a difference!

We’re living in a day and age in which the spin cycle seems to be working overtime and we must often take public figures’ words with a grain (or maybe a truckload) of salt. Not so with God’s Word—“…It stands firm in the heavens.” (Psalm 119:89). And God won’t change His mind to accommodate my spins or anyone else’s! In the unspun words of God’s prophet, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8).

 

Blessings!

Jim McMillan