My Great-Great-Birth-Grandfather

Coming Soon...

Hello!

This blog is morphing into something new... And the old name has GOT to go.

             It was great,

but now this blog has a different focus, and a new name is in order.

                      Hang tight!

A Christian Heritage: an interview with G.I. Williamson

          Last week, I emailed retired pastor G.I. Williamson for the second time in my life.  The first time was to thank him for writing his study of the Westminster Confession of Faith, which the Lord used mightily in my life.  This time it was to ask him some questions.  He graciously replied, and here is my interview with Mr. Williamson, Reformed Presbyterian pastor for over 50 years, author, and one of my heroes:

What was your church like, growing up?

"My parents and grand-parents were originally members of the old United Presbyterian Church of North America (UPCNA). This was a strong church at one time. But it was rapidly declining in its commitment to its Reformation Confessional standards. So I was never even made ware of the existence of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.  I never even knew that my Mother had once memorized it until I discovered that during my last visit with her when she was 95 years old.

What led you to read the Westminster Confession?

"While I was studying for the ministry at the Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary, I was allowed to serve as a student pastor of the UPCNA church in New Bedford, PA.  It was while serving in that capacity that I first discovered the Westminster Standards.  One Saturday, when some of the members were cleaning the church, the treasurer came to tell me that they had found some old books in a dusty closet and were about to throw them away.  If I wanted any of those books, I was free to take them.  So I went to have a look, and one that caught my eye was an edition of the 1858 Subordinate Standards of the United Presbyterian Church of North America.  That was the first time that I had ever laid eyes on the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. From that moment on, my life was radically changed.  I began to study the Confession and Catechisms, paying close attention to the proof texts printed out below the text of these documents to support their statements.  Next to the Bible itself, no other book even comes close to the importance of this one in my life as a Christian and a pastor."

 

What led you to write a study on the Confession?

"When I began my labor as a home missionary of the OPC in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1955, I determined that my people (however few or many there might be under my ministry) were not going to be deprived (as I had been) of their confessional and catechetical heritage.  So I began writing lessons on the Westminster Confession that were handed out weekly to be studied and discussed at the midweek prayer meeting.  As I wrote those lessons, I never had any notion that I was writing a book!  Dr. William Young, who was then teaching philosophy at the University of Rhode Island, often came to worship with us on Sunday evenings.  When he saw a few of those lessons, he began to urge me to send them in to Mr. Charles Craig of the Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company to see if he would publish them.  He said he was pretty sure he would, because I quoted Westminster Seminary Professors Van Til and Murray! And to my amazement, he was right."

 

Your greatest contribution to the world, in your opinion, is...?

"I find this to be a difficult question.  I can't think of anything that I would consider a 'great' contribution to the world, much less the "greatest."  So let me just say I believe God's truth is unchanging, something 'once for all delivered to the saints' (Jude 3).  And because this is true I believe the Westminster Standards (as well as the Heidelberg Catechism) are one of "the greatest contributions to the world" that the true church has ever made. I only see my work as an attempt to help people see this."

Is there anything you regret in your life as a Christian leader?

"I regret that I did not remain longer in one place.  It is now my opinion that this pattern of ministers moving on every few years is not as fruitful as longer pastorates.  There are, of course, exceptions.  But to young ministers I would say, 'the grass over there is not really greener.'"

Do you have hope for the next generation?

"I certainly do.  I've been a pastor for more than sixty years, and I find the young people today to be more willing to think, to examine ,and to investigate than those I encountered in previous decades.  I think this is partly because the bad fruits of liberalism/modernism are no longer hidden under the surface of what J. Gresham Machen called 'the moral momentum' inherited from our ancestors.  That was still very strong when I was a young person.  Not any more."

 What advice would you give the next generation of Christians?

"'Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered' (Prov. 28:26). That is why the Apostle Paul said we must 'not be conformed to this world, but. . .transformed by the renewal of [our] mind[s]' (Rom. 12:2). To get wisdom we must have a desire to get hold of 'the truth.'   We can only get that from God himself, through His word. But one of the greatest instruments to help us in this quest is found in the historic Reformed Confessions.   This is not to even suggest for a moment that they are infallible teachers.   They are not, and they say that very thing themselves, but they are a wonderful means of helping us to find our way in the Scriptures."

What do you see as the future for the next generation?

"God is sifting his people.  There has already been a big loss in numbers as once great Presbyterian and Reformed Churches leave their own heritage.  But the result will be a more vibrant remnant.  If you are part of this remnant you ought to be overwhelmed with gratitude to God for your preservation.  You ought to be filled with a holy joy that others will see in every aspect of your existence.  We are not what is left of a lost cause. Perilous times will come (1 Tim. 4:1, and 2 Tim. 3:1).  We have a future.  And, as Mary Adams — a retired missionary used to say to me — 'the best is yet to be.'"




Thanks, Mom, for telling me to read the Confession, and for proof-reading this post.

Thank you, Mr. Williamson, for all your emails!

True Greatness: A Look Back on the Life of Jeremiah Small

      It could be said that all teachers influence their students, but it is obviously not the case that all impact their students for good.  Exactly one year ago, a teacher was shot to death by one of his students, and while it would certainly be easier (and safer) to let memories of him fade, small groups of people around the world are gathering this weekend to remember his life. Several of his friends and family have agreed to help me uncover what exactly it was about this man that is, and ought, to be remembered.

      Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Jeremiah Small spent nearly the last decade of his life teaching and mentoring junior high and high school students at the Classical School of the Medes in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Located in the secure Kurdish region in northern Iraq, the entire area was shocked by the in-class murder of this beloved teacher. Thirty-three year-old Jeremiah was killed at the beginning of class by one of his eleventh-grade students, who immediately shot and killed himself. I watched all that day while Jeremiah's students filled his Facebook page with comments, mourning his death and wishing he could be there to help them make sense of this tragedy. However, the reality was that the people of Iraq lost a great man, and what remains are the lessons he taught, the generation of leaders he helped to form, the memories cherished by those who knew him, and the spiritual legacy he left on earth.

      Jeremiah was noted as exceptional in his habits. A former teacher at Medes School told me, "he felt a sense of urgency. He didn't want to take the time to do things like eat or tie his shoes. Every second mattered to him...We often felt he didn't rest enough or take enough time for himself, but in hindsight it makes more sense."

      "He was much more studious and intentional in his relationship with Christ than most other Christian men I've known," Jeremiah's sister, Sarah Russell, noted, "In the world's eyes, he wasn't successful. He was forgetful. . . and a bit disorganized, but in God's eyes he was successful because he simply obeyed, and was continually seeking and pursuing God's plans for his life."

      "I don’t think he would say he was great. He was used of God. He did great exploits for God, which is what he always wanted to do, things that were a bit maverick. But he was just doing what God made him to do," his mother, Rebecca, noted, "Was he great when he was living? He certainly would not have thought so. . . He was growing, on a journey toward God, like all of us. Yet God in His mercy has chosen to use him in a great way."
     
      Another former teacher added, "Jeremiah was different from other teachers because he was fulfilling a calling. . .when you see someone who is totally doing and being what God has called them to, it's a beautiful thing."
     
      Russell remembers, "his passion to do what is right, and his love for all those around him. His willingness to sacrifice himself and his time and energy to. . . invest in the lives of those whom God placed in his life."

      "He probably spent more time building relationships than preparing lessons," said Dan Small, Jeremiah's father.

       Jeremiah was also recognized as a talented teacher, "He knew the material well. He also just knew a lot in general. He could draw conclusions and applications from things in history and literature that could be applied today."

      "He loved his students and had a desire to impart not just knowledge to them but life – his life, God’s life. He took time with them inside and outside the classroom, lots of time. He got to know them, listened to them, became a part of their lives. He won a hearing," wrote Rebecca.
    
      "He was very good at asking questions and getting the students to do the hard work of learning and discovering," one teacher wrote.

     "He made them process ideas and concepts logically and systematically," said Dan.


      "And he was just so excited about what he was teaching--his passion came through and it made you excited."

      "He wasn’t afraid to tell his students the truth – even when it sometimes hurt them, or angered them, or when they couldn’t yet understand. He was always pulling them to something higher, better. He taught them to have an honest evaluation of themselves, to take a hard look at themselves."
     
       "He could hardly keep from teaching, no matter what he was doing," said Rebecca, "everything presented to him a teachable moment and was something to learn from."
     
      Russell hopes this influential kind of teaching will continue in future generations, "If other teachers will model after him, they too will win the hearts and minds of their students, and also be able to effectively point their students to Truth that will benefit them all their lives."

      When asked what teachers ought to emulate of Jeremiah, one teacher replied, "knowing your subject well, being passionate about it, looking to see where you can challenge your students to think critically and push harder than they are normally inclined to do."

      "God is bigger than your failures, idiosyncrasies, struggles; just live your life, the life God gave you, in a humble, authentic way before God and others. It is God who works in us and through us; the work is God’s, not ours."
     
       "Be intentional," Russell said, "in all things, and passionate about one thing: Christ.  Follow Him wherever He leads, and whatever it costs; open your eyes to the people and things that God puts in your life, and love them well.  See beyond the surface of people, and seek to know and invest in their lives."

      "True greatness is measured in ways different than ours."
     
      Jeremiah's parents were pleased with his behavior all through his life.  Rebecca recalled her time home-educating him, "Jeremiah loved to know and learn about anything and everything, and each knowledge pursuit was integrated into the Center: Christ and His Kingdom. There were subjects I felt we had done a poor job on through high school, things I wished we’d had more time for; yet it was thrilling and amazing to see how God filled in the gaps, giving him an interest in and a love for those things as he stepped into the role of teaching those very things. This was a humbling and beautiful answer to prayer. He learned way beyond what I ever could have taught him."
     
      "He sought counsel, " Dan remembered, "opened his heart to us, and made choices that he knew would make us proud."

      "He showed us respect and sought to serve us and the whole family whenever he was home – even when he could have just wanted to spend those weeks sleeping or catching up on other things."

      "Jeremiah loved learning from the time he first learned to read. He read widely and was taught by his mother to look for details and make vital connections between events and the ideas that shaped them."
     
      "When he was home, he gave himself to the playing of games with his siblings, holding and rolling on the floor with his nieces and nephews, etc. He shared the things he was learning; he shared his struggles; he discussed what we were learning; he gave himself to the churches and ministries we were involved in when he was home." 

      The teachers agreed that Jeremiah's life reflected his faith, primarily.  "Jer knew that his life was not his own, and he lived out that self-control every day."

      "He put feet to what he believed," said Russell, "and lived it fully and with passion."

      "The world is the Lord's and he knew this keenly; so the world was simply a window into the heart, mind, face of God. God was his ultimate passion," Rebecca wrote, "He had a high view of the Trinity – this truth about God made sense of the world and of spiritual vagaries; it explains unity in diversity, as well as all other truths."
     
      "I loved to hear him pray," remembered one teacher, "and how he had an eternal mindset--that in a culture where everything is so much instant gratification, we as Christians are working towards a delayed gratification."

      "He walked humbly with his Lord. He studied God’s Word and let it hammer him, pierce him, feed him, equip him. He mixed what he learned there with an aggressive (seemingly reckless) trust in the providence of a loving God."

      "He did not just 'chat' or 'hang out' with people," another recalled, "He seized every opportunity to pray for them, and pray for opportunities to present Christ. . . Every lesson, every assignment, every after-school activity, every person had eternal significance to him."

      "Jeremiah’s spiritual journey developed in him a strong conviction that every breath was grace and every circumstance had eternal significance. He felt a strong sense of DESTINY and wanted to be faithful to his calling. On the one hand he was thoroughly convinced of his “smallness” (pun intended) and dispensability (God would get His work done whether through him or others), while, at the same time, sensing deeply that God had given him gifts, opportunities, and a heritage that uniquely equipped him to make a difference in other’s lives."

      Remembering a team trip to the Yezidi temple in northern Iraq, a teacher said, "Where I would only see things as a tourist. . . he saw people who were isolated, and would probably never hear the gospel, and he longed to be able to tell them. . . Looking back on the time I worked with Jeremiah, what stands out is intensity.  He knew he was on a mission, and he ran hard."



Thank You:

To the teachers who answered my question and requested I withhold their names, thank you.

To the one who asked me never to contact her again, I'm sorry. For the wishes for luck and blessings, thank you.

To Sarah Russell for all she said, both about Jeremiah and in blessings to me, thank you.

To Mr. J Dan Small, for the answers, the ideas, the names, the pictures, the encouragement, the kind words, and the patience with my email server, thank you.

To Mrs. Rebecca Small, for the answers that completed it all, the time you gave, and the invitation I would love someday to accept, thank you.

To Jeremiah. . . thank you.

Thanksgiving 551-573

551. A friend who gave me Purim cookies, and not because I deserve them in any way.
552. A trip to Nashville
553. Spring Break
554. Having something neat to post really soon!
555. Playing with the Symphony
556. Nailing a part I'd never played correctly before
557. H pouring water all over herself
558. H laughing nonstop, and how we all know we can do that around each other
559. S coming home soon
560. Mr. C asking if I'm related to Mr. P, and how I almost said "yes", because we might be, and how funny that was to all my friends
561. Neatly packed suitcases
562. The sun shining, and how everything is getting warmer
563. Knowing things I didn't, and how knowledge changed everything for me
564. A violin teacher who laughs more than she frowns
565. Starting to learn that laughter is truly the best medicine
566. Only one month till our next concert, and we have only had one day off since our last
567. Mr. Z clapping hard for us, and Robyn's words
568. The other Mr. Z looking for me to figure out if I was sick or not
569. Only having to blow my nose 3 times during the concert *sigh*
570. My fever being gone!!
571. Nine hours of sleep after a week of sleep deprivation
572. Lots of sap from the trees = lots of sugar to make when we get back!! :)
573. Having "Till We Have Faces" to reread on the trip, and how I've looked forward to this for months

Introducing: The New Look

What do you think?

This new look is heralding in a new era in this blog's life!  Look for different styles and topics on here! 

I'm excited!

On the past few weeks...

A lot has transpired in the past couple of weeks.  A lot has challenged me!  I found my birth father, for one thing.  That shouldn't have been that hard, but I found myself rooting through irrational desires and confusing thoughts about wanting to contact him, wanting to know more about him, and wondering how to balance this new found knowledge with my life as a Lambert.  There were times when I simply couldn't process it all, and I am thankful for the people who let me cry, who asked if I was okay, and especially my mom, who talked me through it all.  I am glad, in the end, that I learned all about my birth father, even though I will never meet him.  I'm glad that I got to see where I came from, and how that contrasts with where I am now.  God has blessed me beyond anything I can begin to realize, and I'm just starting to understand that I can only see the very tip of the iceberg of God's grace in my life.  He has been faithful. 

I wanted to write about this earlier, but I didn't have words.  I still am struggling to be 100% joyful about it, and most of the time, not thinking about it is the best course.  I spend most of my time doing school or playing with Tim, so I really don't have time to think about it much.  This is for the best, obviously, because it is what God has placed in front of me, for now. 

The desire to know more about this man who was part of my beginning isn't entirely rational.  I have received nearly nothing from him, and he was never involved in my life.  However, as an irrational human being, I like knowing who he is. 

This isn't at all what I set out to write, or even what I think about it all, but it's what I can write, for now. Maybe more will come later, as I find the words.

My older brother was accepted into the Marine Corps two days ago, too!  Tomorrow we are driving to Columbus to see him swear in.  After that there's no going back!  We're all excited for him!  In April he will leave for basic training, and won't be back until the end of July.  This is a big step for him, and you might pray for all of us!

I  hope you all are having a lovely Valentine's Day!  I love you!