covenant magazine - [fall 2004]

The Magazine of Covenant Theological Seminary

Technology: Friend or Foe?

Surrendering Self

Dr. Bryan Chapell Reports to the

32nd General Assembly

COVENANTVol 19, No. 3 Fall 2004

Celebrating the Life of Dr. W. Harold Mare

COVENANT MAGAZINE Fall 2004

“The more things change, the more things stay the same.” This seeming contradiction reflects many of our sentimentsabout life. For example, we see how technology always changeswhile the spiritual bankruptcy of humanity, apart from Christ,remains the same. If asked, most of us would prefer it the otherway around. We would rather know that the television we buytomorrow will never be out of date, while the spiritual apathyand self-righteousness of today would be wholly replaced tomor-

row by the fruit of the Spirit. When reflecting upon such patterns of change and consis-tency, we may fall into discouragement and despair.

When we are filled with such feeling of insignificance and being out of control, the words of Joshua 1:6 ring almost mockingly in our ears, “Be strong and courageous.”We wonder, “Now how am I supposed to do that when I do not even feel love for myneighbor?” We may blame our faith for being too small, but the real problem rests oftenwith us holding to only a part of God’s promises.

Joshua 1:6 takes a much fuller meaning when read in context. After Moses died,Joshua found himself the leader of the displaced nation of Israel. Joshua also encoun-tered this pattern of change and consistency. While still grieving the loss of a friend and mentor, Joshua faced the same spiritually-wayward Israel. In that moment of doubtand uncertainty, the Lord God spoke encouraging words to Joshua, “I will never leaveyou nor forsake you” (Josh. 1:5).

The exhortation to be strong and courageous is built upon the promise of God’s presence with us. This promise is the assurance that God will not abandon us to the tide of changing and unchanging realities. We may cry out with the father of thedemon-possessed son, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24), and rest confident that our prayers have come before the God of all power and love, the one who not only can help us, but has done so already by giving us His Son, Jesus, who is Emmanuel,

God with us. The Word promises that God will never leave us. Our response is that we

must be strong and courageous. In theological terms, these are called the indicatives (what is true) and the imperatives (how we are called to respond). In day-to-day terms,we call this hope.

In this issue of Covenant magazine, you will read about the implications of ever-changing modern technology, and the unchanging condition of human self-righteous-ness. You will read about the death of a friend and colleague, and the need for prayer. As you read, remember the promise of God, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” and may this be the encouragement that sustains you in the strength and the courage of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

2Prophet, Priest, & King

The Perfect One of IsraelDR. ROBERT PETERSON

6Surrendering Self

DR. HANS BAYER

18Technology:

Friend or Foe?LUKE BOBO

22New Degree Program:

M.A.E.M.

24Ordinary People,

Extraordinary HopeDr. Bryan Chapell Reports to the 32nd General Assembly

29Celebrating the Life ofDr. W. Harold Mare

From the President

Intercessor 10

Alumni News 12

Events 14

Campus News 28

Student Profile 30

Volume 19, No. 3

Fall 2004

Above: The W. Harold Mare Institute for Biblical and Archaeological Studies is housed at CovenantSeminary. This museum and research lab housesmany hundreds of artifacts, most of which wereexcavated at Abila by Dr. Mare and his teams.

Left: Late Bronze Era Abila two handled bichrome (red and black) amphora jar

Celebrating Dr. W. Harold Mare’s LegacyOn June 22, 2004, Dr. Harold Mare, a longtime seminary facultymember and early board member, went home to be with the Lord (moreon page 29). The photos featured commemorate Dr. Mare’s contributionto Biblical archaeology. Dr. Mare ledan extensive survey and excavation of Abila of the Decapolis in Jordan,where the pictured artifacts and buildingwere discovered. Dr. Mare’s scholarshipprovided many insights into life in theMiddle East during Biblical times andwill serve the Church and academy for generations.

Left: Glass lamps from Abila Byzantine Church (circa 500 A.D.)

Below: Twenty-Six-Column cruciform Cathedral reconstructed in Abila of theDecapolis (6th Century A.D.)

DR. ROBERT PETERSON

Professor of Systematic Theology

COVENANT MAGAZINE Fall 2004 2

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoketo our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days hehas spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heirof all things, through whom also he created the world.He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exactimprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification forsins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty onhigh, having become as much superior to angels as thename he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

– Hebrews 1:1-4 (ESV)

PROPHET, PRIEST, & KINGThe Perfect One of Israel

www.covenantseminary.edu 3 Training Servants of the Triune God

Prophet, Priest, & King

hese offices were kept so distinct

in Old Testament times that

individuals who occupied such positions

could be punished for transgressing these

finely delineated boundaries (see 1 Sam.

13:1-15). But it was God’s great plan for

One Israelite eventually to fill all three

offices in Himself. This indeed would be

the Son of God, the Messiah. When we see how Jesus saves

in His threefold office, we know Him better and can rejoice

in the salvation that He brings.

Jesus as Prophet

We may not often think of this, but the first chapter of

Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus Christ saves as a prophet.

As the prophets of old spoke messages from God, so Jesus

came to bring a saving message from on high. Yet he super-

sedes the prophets of the Old Testament. The first two verses

of Hebrews 1 make this plain in their great comparison

between the revelation of the Old and New Testaments.

This contrast comes through in reference to timing, audi-

ence, and messenger.

Timing

“Long ago,” the writer of Hebrews says about the earlier

prophets. But the writer calls today “the last days.” The

expression “last days” comes from the Old Testament

and refers to a time when the great events prophesied in

the Old Testament have come to pass. The Messiah

Himself has brought in the last days. Already in the first

century the last days have come. In these last days God

has spoken through His Son.

Audience

The contrast is also seen in the audience who hears the

message. God spoke long ago to “our fathers” but in these

last days he has spoken “to us,” the people of God in New

Testament times.

Messengers

The messengers are contrasted as well. Hebrews 1 says

that “many times in many ways God spoke to our fathers

by the prophets.” In these last days He has spoken to us by

His Son, singular. There are many prophets, but one Son.

Through this short prologue the writer undergirds the

whole thrust of the book of Hebrews. This book represents

the prophetical ministry of the Son; in fact, all of the New

Testament is “Son-revelation.” In the New Testament, we

see the fulfillment of Jesus’ words. Jesus said:

These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in

my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remem-

brance all that I have said to you. John 14:25-26 (ESV)

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear

them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you

into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority,

In November, we will cast votes to elect a candidate for the highest office in

our land: that of president. There are also other offices which govern and

make decisions for our land – senators, representatives, and Supreme Court

justices. Ancient Israel had a variety of offices as well. Though they did not

correspond exactly to those of the modern United States, these offices were

a crucial part of Israel’s society. The offices of ancient Israel were those of the

prophet, the priest, and the king.

T

but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you

the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take

what is mine and declare it to you. John 16:12-14 (ESV)

Jesus said He would give His disciples the Holy Spirit in a

special way. When the Apostles wrote the books of the New

Testament, they were writing the things that Jesus gave them

that He received from the Father. Jesus is, therefore, the great

and final prophet of God who, although He wrote nothing

Himself, not only preached the Word of God but also inscrip-

turated those words by His Spirit, through His Apostles.

So we see that Jesus, as the Son of God, supersedes the

Old Testament prophets. He is superior to mere human func-

tionaries and servants of God. Yet in light of this contrast

we should not miss the underlying simi-

larity between Old and New Testament

revelation. The commonality is that, in

each case, it is the same God who opens

His mouth to speak forth His holy Word.

Yes, Christ supersedes the Old Testament

prophets, but both He and they speak the

very Word of God.

Jesus spoke the good news. He spoke

the good news of the Kingdom of God,

of repentance and forgiveness of sins.

In Mark 1, Jesus came into Galilee pro-

claiming the Gospel of God and saying,

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom

of God is at hand; repent and believe in

the gospel” (Mk. 1:15). Even as Jesus

preached the good news, He called for a

response of repentance and faith. Jesus

saves us as the great prophet of God. Jesus

is our prophet, the prophet whom the Father gave to us to

tell us the good news and then accomplish this good news for

us in His death and resurrection, which Jesus Himself proph-

esied. We need to listen more closely to Jesus the prophet.

As we read the Gospels, we should read them with

the following ideas in mind:

Worship: We read the Gospels to worship our Lord and

Savior. When we read of Jesus’ miracles, we can thank Him

for the miracle of regeneration and anticipate the miracle

of the resurrection of the dead. When we see Him cast out

demons or undergo the temptation in the wilderness, we can

rejoice that He is our victor and worship our champion who

defeated all of our foes in His death and resurrection. So

worship your Lord and Savior; bow before Him as you read.

Example: We cannot become Christians by following

Jesus’ example. Nothing is more futile. We are saved and

become God’s children by grace, through faith in Christ

alone. But having become Christians, we can and must

follow Jesus’ example. His example helps us to see how to

live redemptively in our fallen world. We see Jesus’ example

in the Gospels.

Know God: Most closely related to Jesus’ office of

prophet is the fact that He reveals the Lord. In the

Gospels, through the life of Christ, we learn of God up

close and personally. Here is the ultimate missionary task

of contextualization. The eternal Son

becomes one of us to communicate the

ways, works, and wisdom of God to us.

We need to listen to Jesus, to learn from

the great prophet of God so we will

come to know God better.

Jesus as Priest

Jesus also saves us as our priest. In

Hebrews 1:3 we see that “after making

purification of sins he [Jesus] sat down at

the right hand of God.” The amazing

thing about this truth is that Jesus is both

the priest and the sacrifice. This is utterly

unique. All the priestly endeavors up

until this point were effective not because

the blood of bulls and goats took away

sin, but because the sacrifices were made

in anticipation of the work of Christ.

In His mercy, God applied to believing

people of old the efficacy of the work of the Lamb of God

who was to come. The earlier sacrifices acted as a pictorial

representation of the Gospel, but it was Christ’s atonement

that made those sacrifices effective. Jesus offered Himself;

He was both priest and sacrifice (Heb. 9:26).

In Hebrews 1, we learn something about Jesus that is

never said about any priest in the Old Testament. After

making purification for sins, Jesus sat down (Heb. 1:4). Both

the tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament had fur-

niture. But they had no place for a priest to take his rest, no

chair in which to sit down when he had finished his work.


Jesus is our prophet[who tells], thegood news andaccomplish[es] the good news...

This is because, as the Scriptures tell us, the work of

atonement was not finished in the Old Covenant. Hebrews

10:11-12 says, “And every priest stands daily at his service,

offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take

away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single

sacrifice for sins, he sat down…”

After making a single offering, Jesus sat down. Think

of it. This one offering is vastly different from hundreds of

thousands of previous offerings. The work of the priests

of the Old Testament was never completed; otherwise they

would have ceased making offerings. But when the Son of

God came, He sat down after making purification for sins.

The meaning is plain: Jesus finished His work. Because it

was final and because it was perfect it is

utterly effective to save all of who turn in

faith to Christ.

Sometimes you and I beat ourselves

up spiritually; we spiritually flagellate

ourselves. We do this after we sin in

speech for the umpteenth time, or after

we let our eyes see something we should

not, or after we perform actions that we

know are wrong. When the Holy Spirit

convicts us of our own sin, we try to

make amendment or improve the situa-

tion by beating ourselves up. Maybe you

say, “I am not going to forgive myself

for two days this time. I will really grow

spiritually and that will please God. I will

wear the spiritual hair shirt for a week

this time. Then it will be harder for me

to repeat the sins next time.”

I understand well the pattern above because sometimes

I do this myself. But Jesus saves us not only as prophet, but

as our great High Priest as well. It is His perfect work alone

that makes atonement before God. It is His perfect work

alone that quiets our consciences. You see, Jesus Christ sat

down at God’s right hand after making purification for sins.

His work is final, perfect, and effective.

Therefore, we dishonor Jesus and His work when we

engage in spiritual flagellation. We cannot add to His work.

Of course we should be smitten by our sins and desire to do

better before God, but we cannot add to Jesus’ work. When

we think our own self-effort will add to Christ’s work, we

only minimize or belittle His work. Rejoice in His

atonement. Draw near to your great High Priest. Accept

His forgiveness and then, by God’s grace, go on to follow

Him in ways that please Him.

Jesus as King

Finally, Christ saves us as king. This really is the point of

Hebrews 1, which speaks of the coronation of the Son of

God. These verses say that Jesus is as much superior to the

angels as God Himself is superior to His creatures. Jesus sits at

the right hand of the Majesty on High. Hebrews 1:8,9 shows

that Jesus has a throne, a scepter, and an eternal kingdom.

The Father addresses the angels and calls them “flames

of fire” (Heb. 1:7). But He addresses the Son and calls Him

God: “Your throne, O God, will last

forever and ever” (Heb. 1:8). In sitting

down, Jesus not only indicates the finality

of His priestly work, He also sits down at

the right hand of God, the place of ulti-

mate authority and honor in the universe.

As Old Testament kings smoothed the

transition of power by adding their sons

as co-regents, so the Father and the Son

reign together in heaven. In November,

we will elect a human being to the presi-

dency of the most powerful nation on

the earth. But that presidency pales into

insignificance when compared to the

office of our king Jesus, who sits and

reigns at the right hand of God. We need

not fear whatever may come in our lives –

whether it be sickness, disappointment,

failure, or even death – for King Jesus

reigns. He reigns now in heaven and one day He will rule

the new earth. Now He keeps us; on that day He will judge

our enemies. We can rest secure knowing that we are in the

hands of Him who rules over all.

We should worship our King and live for Him with all

of our strength. What else can we do? Our Lord Jesus saves

us as the great and final Prophet, as the great High Priest of

God, and as our reigning King. Let us, therefore, learn from

Him, avail ourselves daily of the forgiveness purchased by

His death, and bow under His scepter, rejoicing in His

protection. To Him be everlasting praise! ■


Jesus Christ sat down at God’s righthand after making purification for sins.His work is final,perfect, and effective.

DR. HANS BAYER

Associate Professor

of New Testament


SURRENDERINGSELF


Surrendering Self

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in

the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees

and that of Herod.”

They discussed this with one another and said,

“It is because we have no bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread?

Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but

fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five

loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls

of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

– MARK 8:14-21

ome of my time in recent years has

been spent looking into the entire

thrust of the message of the Gospel of

Mark. In Mark 8 Jesus directs our focus

to a single warning saying, “Watch

out.” What exactly is Jesus warning

His disciples – and us – about?

Jesus leads His disciples and us to

face a core issue of the heart. He employs images of blindness,

(“Do you have eyes but fail to see…?”) and deafness (“and

ears but fail to hear?”), as well as the metaphor of the yeast of

the Pharisees and Herod. Jesus singles out an element in the

lives of the Pharisees, Herod, the disciples, and an element

in our own lives, that must be dealt with and overcome.

Christ, who loves us, comes to us through His Word to

cleanse us. Christ comes to redirect our focus in the midst

of all kinds of distractions to which you and I are constantly

exposed. In the midst of those distractions, He shows us

that we are vulnerable to the same problems that character-

ized the lives of the Pharisees and Herod.

In order to get a better understanding of this passage,

we need to realize that the call to discipleship is the climax

of God’s call to His own people. The call to discipleship is

the antidote to the rebellious ways of fallen and sinful man.

Here Jesus is working on His disciples, crafting them to be

redesigned according to God’s original purposes.

We need to consider how God originally designed us.

When God created us, He “wired” us for complete

S

dependency upon Him. Jesus is not the only teacher, the

only prophet who brings this to our attention. In Scripture

we see a historical chain of God’s call to His people to return

to such complete dependency. Now He is also speaking

through His only Son. Many times, the prophets have spoken

about everyone pursuing their own ways – they are without

eyes, without ears, pursuing their own course. And now the

only and eternal Son speaks of this again, when He warns

His disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod.

What could Herod and the Pharisees possibly have

in common? Let us consider the Pharisees. Despite recent

voices to the contrary, the Pharisees did have a religious

disposition that was self-centered and

self-driven. It is true, that not all

Pharisees were superficial hypocrites;

yet, as a group, they overlooked the depth

of sin, the depth of alienation between

man and God and believed this could be

remedied by their own doing. When Jesus

warns His disciples to watch out for the

yeast of the Pharisees, He points to the

very vexing problem of a self-centered,

self-driven, self-oriented religious disposi-

tion. Such a disposition can look very

pious, very good, very devoted to God’s

honor and yet it is squarely based on self

as the determining factor.

Now the “yeast of Herod” is a little

different. Herod Antipas was directly

under Roman authority. He was clearly an

opportunist, pursuing the exercise of power

by the means available to him. Herod had

killed John the Baptist for speaking critically into his immoral

life. The “yeast of Herod” is the yeast of a more ostentatious

self-determined agenda. Yet there is common ground between

the Pharisees and Herod. In the Gospels of Mark and Luke,

both the Pharisees and Herod sought miraculous signs that

would authenticate the authority of Jesus to speak in such a

challenging and critical way into their lives. By doing so, the

Pharisees and Herod avoid facing their chief problem.

Neither the Pharisees nor Herod first ask if there is a

problem with the disposition of their own hearts, if there

is an attitude problem with which they must wrestle.

In such a context the demand for a sign is merely a pre-

text for pursuing a self-centered agenda.

Do you see how this all works together? A fixed agenda

exists and Jesus will not fit into that agenda. Jesus confronts

the Pharisees and Herod, but they will not make room for

the purpose and agenda of God. In essence, this is the uni-

versal challenge to the human heart as we are determined

without Christ to fight for our own turf, our own independ-

ence and our own agenda even in the religious arena. In the

light of Christ’s authoritative presence, the motives of the

Pharisees, Herod, the disciples, and yes, the motives of our

own hearts are laid bare.

Christ arises as a heart-revealer. The resistance of many

Pharisees and of Herod to Christ’s teach-

ing and authority exposes the root dispo-

sition of their hearts. As a consequence

they plan to get rid of Jesus.

The yeast referred to in this passage is

the attitude of unbelief. This attitude says

that such an authoritative Jesus cannot be

allowed to exist; the agenda is already set.

Mind you, this unbelief, this self-centered

security can look very pious and very reli-

gious. Many Pharisees were living lives of

fasting, tithing, worship, study and teach-

ing God’s Word. Yet the essential and fun-

damental disposition of their hearts was

still self-determined and self-centered.

In the novel The Brothers Karamazov,

Fyodor Dostoevsky presents a section

called The Grand Inquisitor in which

Dostoevsky imaginatively describes how

Christ appears to the people of Seville

and to an old Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who

oversees the Great Inquisition. This Cardinal is the supposed

guardian of the church and as Christ appears He interrupts

the agenda of the church. After the Cardinal has Jesus

arrested, he meets with Jesus privately at night. At one point

in the Cardinal’s monologue, he exclaims to Jesus, “Why

have you come to disturb us?” Christ’s presence interrupts

the Cardinal’s job of managing the people’s consciences

because Christ speaks for freedom and personal responsibility

before God. Christ does not say one word in the presence

of the Cardinal as the Cardinal continues on with his mono-

logue. This is a fitting fictional representation of an instance


…we aredetermined,without Christ, to fight for our own turf…

where Christ does not get in a word edgewise because the

agenda is already set.

Perhaps this would all be fine and good if we could now

walk away from this passage having once again “bashed”

the Pharisees and Herod. Yet there is one remaining

problem: Christ brings this challenge to the disciples and

with them, to us. He warns them and us to watch out for

the type of self-centeredness and self-reliance to which

they and we are vulnerable.

We are being warned of the danger of this self-deter-

mined heart because self-determined hearts develop and

defend their own agenda, their own brands of life without

daily surrender to, and dependency upon,

the living God. I had a little lesson in

this even as I was preparing this message.

I was jet lagged and faced a long day

ahead. Everything that I thought I had to

do in the coming day seemed impossible

to accomplish. I thought, “I can’t do it!”

But as I heard these words spoken within

myself, I realized that coming to the end

of myself was a blessing. It is at the point

of need that we realize how self-reliant

we have become. The grace of God brings

us constantly to that limit and turns us to

the Lord for His supply.

There is an antithesis between

the call of Christ on our lives and

autonomous self-reliance which cannot

be harmonized. The two will never be

married. Yet we try daily to integrate

those two modes of existence to have a

life that is based on our own structure, our own aspirations

and still give it a spiritual over-coating that says God is

sovereign. This will never work.

In this Scripture passage the disciples are overly con-

cerned with having enough to eat, and they do not hear

Jesus’ great warning to watch out for this problem of self-

reliance. In the course of His entire earthly ministry Jesus

sought to bring His disciples into increasing dependency

upon Him. We also must take up the great battle and hear

this great warning. Watch out for falling into the default

mode of self-dependency. Watch out that you do not

automatically try to make things fit into your own agenda.

I praise God that He has put all kinds of serious road-

blocks into my life for one single purpose: to wean me of this

ill-fated attempt to marry the pursuit of my own ways with

the pursuit of God’s ways. You see, without Christ I am a

troubled Pharisee. Without Christ I am a host to the yeast

of self-reliance.

Some 20 years after Jesus gives this warning, Paul warns

the Galatians to watch out for the yeast of self-righteousness

and self-generated godliness. Paul also warns the Corinthians

to watch out for the yeast of willful immorality, which is one

of the results of a self-centered life.

Jesus calls His disciples and us to nothing less than to

surrender our self-centered agenda, and

to gladly let Him interrupt our lives over

and over. In the end it is the glory and

greatness of God that is the antidote to

a self-centered agenda.

Whatever concerns you most today,

whatever troubles you most, whatever is

most difficult for you to handle today,

that thing may be an opportunity to apply

the warning of “watching out for self-

reliance.” With every challenge we have

in our lives, we can either revert to self-

reliance or surrender to God. Every diffi-

culty, every factor in our lives can turn us

one way or another. Today it is my hope

that the situations in which we find our-

selves would be turned into opportunities

in which God does His work in our hearts

and minds. This means letting go, surren-

dering, knowing God’s Word, and having

God’s presence take shape in our lives and minds.

Jonathan Edwards testified that the more he sought the

honor of God, the more he became aware of his own ugliness

and his need for God’s intervention to strengthen him in his

new life in Christ. This is good. It is wonderful to see our

great need. The more we see our need, the more we cry out

to Him to liberate us from self-centeredness and self-reliance.

Do not miss the opportunity today to watch out for the

yeast of self-reliance. Embrace the difficulties of your life

today; cry out to your heavenly Father and ask that He

would enable you to surrender all and allow Christ to be

your Lord and Savior today. ■


Jesus calls His disciples and us…to gladly let Himinterrupt our lives over and over.

O God, you are the light of the minds that know you,the life of the souls that loveyou, and the strength of thewills that serve you; help us toknow you that we may trulylove you, so to love you thatwe may fully serve you, whomto serve is perfect freedom,through Jesus Christ our Lord.– AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO (354-430)1

the

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RAs Covenant Seminary exists to train servants of the triune God to walk with God, to interpret and communicate God’s Word,and to lead God’s people, we recognize the importance of prayerto guide and continue the mission.

While much of our training takes place in one geographic area as students relocate for study, the mission continues in the lifetime of ministry that the Lord grants as people continue on from Covenant Seminary. Therefore prayer for the seminary and its mission comes with a local, national, and global scope.

We are grateful for your prayers for Covenant Seminary. We hope that this prayer calendar that can be prayed throughduring the autumn months will help focus your thoughts and prayers for the seminary, its students and alumni. As the color key indicates, the dark squares share campus concerns, the medium squares national concerns, and the white squares international concerns.

1 Davies, Horton, The Communion of Saints,(Grand Rapids, Ill: Eerdmans Publishing, 1990), 70.

FALL2004In this election year, praythat God’s purposes for the U.S. would go forththrough the politicalprocess. Pray for wisdomfor government leaders,and for Christians to havea growing understandingof their role as salt andlight in civic society.

Pray for the FrancisSchaeffer Lecture Series(Oct. 22-23) entitled And the Beat Goes On:How to Listen to Music.Pray that the Lord wouldteach His people how to appreciate the good gift of music and will preparethem with a vision forredeeming culture.

“The Word became fleshand made his dwellingamong us. We have seenhis glory, the glory of the One and Only, whocame from the Father, full of grace and truth”(Jn. 1:14).

Praise God for the recent grant from LillyEndowment, Inc. to bedevoted to sustaining pastoral excellence. Prayfor Rev. Dr. Robert Burnswho has been hired byCovenant Seminary todirect this effort.

Pray for Mission to theWorld’s Global MissionConference (Nov. 5-7) in Atlanta, Ga. Pray thatall who attend would be encouraged to rest in God’s promises for missionary work. Thank the Lord for the manyCovenant Seminary alumni who have risen upas leaders in this missionagency and will present at the conference.

Pray for peace and opendoors for the Gospel in the country of Iraq. Prayfor Seth George (currentTh.M.) and Steve Prost(M.Div.’03) as they serveas chaplains for the U.S.Army in Iraq. Pray foropen doors for the Gospelamong the troops.

Pray for the new R.U.F.ministries beginning thisfall. Pray that the Lordwould use them to reachcollege students during aformative period of theirlives. Pray for new campusministers including BrentHarriman (M.Div.’03) at the University ofTennessee (Knoxville) andBrad Rogers (M.Div.’04) at the University ofKentucky (Lexington).

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaksand summons the earthfrom the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. From Zion, perfectin beauty, God shinesforth. Our God comesand will not be silent…”(Ps. 50:1-3).

Pray for the family of Dr. Harold Mare (1918-2004) who aregrieving the loss of a fatherand grandfather. Praise the Lord for Dr. Mare’sdecades of service atCovenant Seminary. Pray for the continued impactof the W. Harold MareInstitute for Biblical andArchaeological Studies on Covenant Seminaryand the Church at large.

Pray for those across thecountry who will gatherfor Covenant Seminary’sConnect Conference for pastors and ministryleaders (see page 13). Pray that this would be a time of rest, equipping,and encouragement for all who attend.

Praise God for the new Master of Arts inEducational Ministriesdegree program, offeredbeginning this fall. Pray for professors preparing for and teaching new classes. Pray that manywould be equipped toserve the educational ministries of the Church.

Pray for recent graduate Peter Dishman(M.Div.’04) as he beginsserving in Mexico City atthe University of Mexico,the largest university inthe world. Pray for theReformed UniversityFellowship (R.U.F.) chapter he seeks to start.Thank the Lord for thispioneering opportunity forR.U.F. and Mission to theWorld to work together.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he wascrushed for our iniquities;the punishment thatbrought us peace wasupon him, and by hiswounds we are healed”(Is. 53:5).

Pray for Christians in the world right now whoare enduring persecutiondue to their faith. Pray especially for theChristian believers ofSudan. Give thanks forthe recent end to theSudanese civil war. Prayfor an ongoing peace intheir land.

Pray for counseling students in practicum this fall to be encouragedand stretched by theirexperiences. Pray that thistraining would be a richcontribution to theirfuture ministries.

Pray for Dr. RobertPeterson as he works on writing a book on theimportant topics of predes-tination and free will. Pray that he would havestrength, wisdom, andtime to complete this project. Pray that thisbook would be a blessingto many.

Pray for churches youknow of who are currentlyin the process of searchingfor a pastor. Pray also forCovenant students, alum-ni, and others who arecandidating. Pray for theLord’s perfect provision aschurches and individualsmake significant decisions.Pray for the Kingdom toprogress through theseimportant transitions.

“Both the one who makesmen holy and those whoare made holy are of thesame family. So Jesus isnot ashamed to call thembrothers” (Heb. 2:11).

Pray for the manyCovenant Seminary alum-ni who are in the earlystages of church planting.Pray for Kirk and DebAdkisson in their move toBoulder, Colo., this fall.Pray that the Lord wouldbe pleased to use them toplant a church in this cityand for the Holy Spirit togo before them.

Pray for the Lifetime ofMinistry Lecture Series(see page 15) offered inOctober and January. Praythat many would take thisopportunity to be blessedby the resources of theseminary. Ask that Godwould equip attendees tobe more effective servantsof Christ in their churchesand communities.

Praise the Lord for theopportunity Drs. HansBayer and David Calhounhad this past summer tovisit with missionariesserving in Europe withPresbyterian MissionInternational. Pray thatthese times of encourage-ment and mentoring formissionaries would bearfruit even now.

Pray for the developmentof the Covenant Seminarycampus facilities, that eachbuilding and space wouldbe conducive to a min-istry-training community.Pray for the leadership of the seminary as theydevelop campus plans touse seminary space in thebest way possible.

Thank the Lord for therecent grant of $17,000awarded to CovenantSeminary by the CalvinInstitute of ChristianWorship. Pray for thedevelopment of a confer-ence on Christian Worshipat Covenant Seminary (seepage 14) funded by thisgrant. Pray that this con-ference would be enrich-ing, encouraging, and willbuild up the Church.

M.Div. Master of Divinity; M.A. Master of Arts; M.A.C. Master of Arts in Counseling; G.C. Graduate Certificate; Th.M. Master of Theology; D.Min. Doctor of Ministry

Sat/Sun Praise Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday


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Campus National International

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Pray for a growing team of Covenant Seminaryalumni and their familieswho are serving in churchplanting in Lima, Peru:Mark (M.Div.’99) and LoriBerry; Frank (M.Div.’02)and Suzanne (M.A.’02)Matthews; and Jeremy(M.A.’03) and AmandaRoss who will join the teamin coming months. Pray forthe Peruvian leaders thatthey train to grow in grace.

Students HonoredFive graduates from the class of 2004 were honored for theiroutstanding work in certain fields.Robbie Griggs (M.Div.) wasawarded the Exegetical Prize;Peter Dishman (M.Div.) wasawarded the Theology Prize;Ryan Laughlin (M.Div.) wasawarded the Robert G. RayburnHomiletics Prize; ErnestineGilbert (M.A.T.) was awardedthe Max Belz Christian EducationPrize; and Joshua Moon (M.Div.)was awarded the grant for graduate theological studies.

In early 2004 Sam Murrell(M.Div.’86) began serving as the Executive Director of CasinoWatch, an organization commit-ted to trying to stop the expan-sion of casinos in Missouri. Sam and his wife, Susan, live in Eureka, Mo., where theyhomeschool their children: Anna(4), Naomi (7), Catherine (9),Abigail (9), Jeremiah (14),Arielle (16), and Wesley (17).Wesley’s twin (yes, they have twosets), Whitefield (17), attends a local Christian high school. The Murrells have three olderchildren who live in Florida, for a total of 11 children. They are a part of Providence ReformedPresbyterian Church in St. Louis.

Lee Mashburn (M.Div.’86) andthe congregation of HiddenValley Presbyterian Church dedicated their church building,located in a suburb of Salt LakeCity, on May 23, 2004. Theircongregation is the first PCAcongregation in the state of Utahto own its own property. Lee isthe church’s organizing pastor.

Ligon Duncan (M.Div.’87) waselected to be Moderator of thePresbyterian Church in America’s

32nd General Assembly on June15, 2004. Ligon has been Pastorof First Presbyterian Church inJackson, Miss., since 1996, and isthe youngest man to be electedmoderator of the PCA GeneralAssembly to date.

Beyond the Summerland, a novelby L.B. Graham (M.Div.’96), was released by P&R Publishingon June 4, 2004. The novel is the first in the Binding of the Blade fantasy series. L.B. teachesEnglish and ethics and is chair-man of the Bible department atWestminster Christian Academyin St. Louis. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch featured a story aboutL.B. and his new novel on May26, 2004. In the article L.B. isquoted saying, “The big idea [ofthe novel] is of how things wentastray when a powerful charactercreated weapons and tried to take over all things…Our heroesand heroines lead the resistanceand hope for the day whenweapons can be unmade. Theworld is dark, but there is a hopeand confidence that some daythings can be made right.”

Tom Smith (M.Div.’02) wasordained on May 30, 2004, in thePresbyterian Church in America.He serves as an Associate Pastorof St. John’s “Burry’s” Church inRochester, Pa.

David Krueger (M.Div.’02) was ordained and installed asPastor of Forreston Grove Churchin Forreston, Ill., on January 11,2004. David and his wife, Amber, have a son, Caleb (born April 11, 2003).

Vanessa Woll (M.A.C.’02) andJamie Watne were married onJuly 10, 2004, in St. Louis, Mo.They now live in Phoenix, Ariz.

Prior to being married and mov-ing to Arizona, Vanessa served asa Spanish Language teacher forRockwood Summit High Schooljust west of St. Louis.

Paul DeYoung (M.Div.’03) was ordained on May 30, 2004, as Assistant Pastor of Children’sMinistry at Twin OaksPresbyterian Church in St. Louis,Mo. Paul’s wife Joanna workspart-time as the SerialsCoordinator for CovenantSeminary’s J. Oliver BuswellLibrary. The DeYoung’s son,Simeon, is two years old.

Andy Mohen (M.Div.’03) wasordained as Associate Pastor forGrace Presbyterian Church in St.Charles County, Mo., onNovember 16, 2003. Dr. RobertVasholz preached for Andy’s ordi-nation service. Dr. WilsonBenton and Phil Haltom(M.Div.’99) also participated.

Steve Prost (M.Div.’03) has been serving with the 1stCalvalry Division of the U.S.Army in Baghdad, Iraq, sinceMarch of 2004. His deploymentwill likely last one year. His duties have included leading regular Sunday morning worship,holding baptisms and memorialservices in addition to day-to-daycontact with soldiers.

With the SaintsStanley Self (D.Min.’85) went to be with the Lord on April 10,2004. Stanley served for 50 yearsin pastoral ministry with theCanadian Presbyterian Church.For 21 of those years, he was amilitary chaplain with theCanadian Armed Forces. SinceStanley’s retirement in 1996 hehas helped various small churches

without pastors. Stanley is sur-vived by his wife, Christine, fourchildren, and nine grandchildren.

Filling the QuiverMatt (M.Div.’96) and CindyLowe welcomed baby boy CalebMaclaren into their family onSeptember 11, 2003. Caleb joinshis older brother Joshua. Matt isthe Worship Pastor at CenterPoint Community Church inOcala, Fla.

Berry (M.Div.’97) and RachelHudson celebrated the birth ofTodd Williams, their first child,on May 6, 2004. Berry is theR.U.F. campus minister for The Citadel and College ofCharleston in Charleston, S.C.

Safija Maike Mathilde was bornto Kor (M.Div.’99) and Evelienvan As on April 20, 2003. Safijawill be called by the name Mischawhich means “who is like God?”

Noah (M.A.E.T.’00) and Allyson Campbell welcomedFelix Alexander Campbell intotheir family on May 27, 2004.Felix joins big brother LeoPatrick. Noah is the AssociatePastor of Third Baptist Church in St. Louis, Mo.

Mike (M.Div.’02) and CharlotteMcLaughlin are pleased toannounce the birth of KellyChristine, born June 16, 2004.Mike is Church Planting Pastorfor Crossroads Fellowship (PCA)in Albuquerque, N.Mex.

Kara Elise was born to Adam (M.Div.’03) and LydiaTisdale on April 7, 2004. Adamserves on the pastoral staff ofCalvary Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, Va. Kara joins herolder brother Ethan.


ALUMNInew

s

If you have information for Alumni News, please mail it to Covenant Magazineor e-mail Alumni News: [email protected]

Jesus called His followers “salt of the earth.” How can the Church today live out this call in its preaching, community, and deeds? Come be renewed in Biblical vision through a Covenant Seminary conference designed to encourage, equip, and connect pastors and ministry leaders.

KEYNOTE AND BREAKOUT SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Alistair Begg Pastor of Parkside Church, Cleveland, Ohio

Bryan Chapell President, Covenant Theological Seminary

Tim Keller Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York

Jerram Barrs Prof. of Practical Theology, Covenant Theological Seminary

CONFERENCE COSTS

$50 includes 2 dinners (hotel not included) $175 includes shared room, 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, and 1 lunch

$250 includes private room, 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, and 1 lunch

Scholarships are available.

Log on to www.covenantseminary.edu for more information.

A CONFERENCE for PASTORS & MINISTRY

LEADERSOCTOBER 19-20, 2004

AT COVENANT THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Fall 2004 Francis Schaeffer Lectures

And the Beat Goes On: How to Listen to MusicSPEAKERS INCLUDE: Denis Haack, Director of Ransom Fellowship; John

Hodges, Associate Professor of Culture and the Arts at Crichton College;

Jeffrey Heyl, Covenant Seminary Visiting Instructor, Practical Theology;

Luke Bobo, Director of Covenant Seminary’s Francis Schaeffer Institute

DATE: October 22-23, 2004

As humans it seems that we are driven to rhythm and tune as a normal part of life. Our creativity comes forth in ways as apparently simple as the beat of a drum or pluck of a string and as complex as voices and instruments joined together in harmony. How can we as 20th-century people grow in our understanding and appreciation of music as a good gift from God? This lecture series will show us how to listen to, appreciate, and engage with various types of musicincluding classical, folk, and hip hop. The discussion will include music shared inside and outside of the Church.

Save the Date!

The Sacrifice of PraiseCovenant Seminary Worship Renewal Conference*

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Scotty Smith, Pastor of Christ

Community Church, Nashville, Tenn.; Jonathan Seda,

Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, Dover, Del.; and

Bryan Chapell, President of Covenant Theological Seminary

DATE: February 28 to March 2, 2005

Come be renewed as you gather with pastors, worship leaders, and musicians to learn from each other about worship that is Gospel-centered, Biblical, and Reformed. This conference will help you address current issues in worship, celebrate old and new forms of worship, think about worship in your church context, and see how your congregation can grow in bringing the sacrifice of praise. The conference will include three worship services withpreaching from plenary speakers, as well as discussion groups and workshops.

*This conference is funded by a grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.

EVENTSGatherings, Conferences


Spring 2005 Francis Schaeffer Lectures

Making Room: The Mystery, Riches, and Challenge of Christian HospitalitySPEAKERS INCLUDE: Christine Pohl, Professor of Christian Social Ethics for

Asbury Theological Seminary & author of Making Room: Recovering the Practice

of Christian Hospitality; Charlie Peacock, Author, Singer/Songwriter, Producer;

Andi Ashworth, Author of Real Love for Real Life; Michael Gordon, Pastoral

Assistant, Grace and Peace Fellowship, St. Louis, Mo.

DATE: February 25 and 26, 2005

In a society that struggles with fragmentation and loneliness, the practice ofChristian hospitality becomes all the more refreshing and needed for thefriends and strangers among us. But while hospitality sounds like a great idea tosome, it may sound overwhelming to others. How do busy people “make room”for the practice of Christian hospitality? How does hospitality differ fromentertaining? What does God’s Word teach about the role of hospitality in thelife of believers? How do the home and the church work in concert offeringspiritual nurture through hospitality? Come hear a group of speakers with awealth of wisdom on this topic discuss these issues and gain a vision forhospitality in your home today.

Please join us.These events are open

to the public and are offered free or for a minimal charge. To learn more about any of

these events, please log on towww.covenantseminary.edu

or call 1.800.903.4044.

Don’t miss an opportunity to connect! Read about the

fall Connect Conference on page 13.

Lifetime of MinistryLecture SeriesRegister online for any of these two- to five-day ministry enrichment courses. As part of the Lifetime of Ministry program, these classes can be audited for a minimal fee.*

Team Ministry in an Urban EnvironmentINSTRUCTORS: Dr. Philip Douglass,

Dr. Nelson Jennings, and others

DATE: October 15 and 16, 2004

ChinaINSTRUCTOR: Dr. Samuel Dz-Sing Ling,

President of China Horizon

DATE: October 8 and 9, 2004

Women’s MinistryINSTRUCTORS: Judy Dabler, Executive Director

of the Center for Biblical Counseling and

Education, St. Louis, Mo., and Tasha Chapman,

experienced leader of women’s ministries

DATE: January 6 and 7, 2005

Covenantal Nurture of the FamilyINSTRUCTOR: Donna Dobbs, Director of

Christian Education for First Presbyterian

Church, Jackson, Miss.


IsaiahINSTRUCTOR: Dr. Ray Ortlund, Jr., Senior Pastor

of Christ Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tenn.,

and author of a forthcoming commentary on Isaiah

to be published by Crossway Books

DATE: January 18 to 21, 2005

Worship in Today’s ChurchINSTRUCTOR: Scotty Smith, Senior Pastor of Christ

Community Church, Nashville, Tenn.


Church-Based Immigrant/Refugee MinistryINSTRUCTORS: Dr. Nelson Jennings and others


IslamINSTRUCTOR: Carl Ellis, President of Project Joseph,

and co-author of The Changing Face of Islam in America


Upcoming Doctor of MinistryCoursesLog on to the Covenant Seminary website find out about the Doctor of Ministry program, or call 1.800.264.8064.

Wilson Preaching LecturesLECTURER: Rev. Alistair Begg

Instructor for D.Min. Credit: Rev. Zack Eswine

DATE: October 19 to 20, 2004

(this course is held in conjunction with the Connect conference. See page 13.)

Theology of Ministry INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Wilson Benton


Spirit-Empowered MinistryINSTRUCTOR: Rev. Robert Smart,

Pastor of Christ Church, Normal, Ill.


Sustaining a Congregation: Preservation and Apostasy INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Robert Peterson


Christian WorshipINSTRUCTOR: Dr. Mark Dalbey


Preaching from the New TestamentINSTRUCTOR: Dr. C.D. “Jimmy” Agan, Senior Pastor

of Clemson Presbyterian Church



*non-transcript audit

Dr. Wilson Benton teaches Theology of Ministry.

Archives of over 200 text and audio messages from Covenant

Seminary faculty and publications are available on the Covenant

Seminary website. This new online resource can be searched by

topic, author, or Scripture. All resources are downloadable and

ready for personal use or with a small group, Bible study, or other

teaching time.

Tap into www.covOver 200 messages are available now, and more

ADDITIONAL SEARCHES

enantseminary.edufiles are added regularly! Log on to find out more.

SEARCH RESULTS: PARENTING

SEARCH RESULTS: POSTMODERNITY

SEARCH RESULTS: FORGIVENESS


TECHNOLOGY: Friend or Foe?

Packed in Genesis 1:26-28 is affirma-

tion of our uniqueness as human

beings made in the image of God. As

this affirmation is made, our human

task is given. The task is referred to in

theological terms as the cultural man-

date. This mandate escapes the notice

of many Christians, yet it is a crucial

truth that helps make sense of our

lives. The mandate tells us that the

Lord has given us a purpose to devel-

op the earth further.

Albert M. Wolters sums the cultural mandate, writing, “the human race will

fill the earth with its own kind, and it will form the earth for its own kind.

From now on the development of the created earth will be societal and

cultural in nature.” 1 In other words, God has mandated that humankind

develop the earth so that it is a civilized place in which to live, play, raise a

family, engage in commerce, work, and the list could go on.

Then God said,

“Let us make man in our image, after ourlikeness. And let them have dominion overthe fish of the sea and over the birds of theheavens and over the livestock and over allthe earth and over every creeping thing thatcreeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him;male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said tothem, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill theearth and subdue it and have dominion overthe fish of the sea and over the birds of theheavens and over every living thing thatmoves on the earth.”

– GENESIS 1:26-28

Forming a civilized world or civilization is facilitated

by the advent of tools like the spoken and written word,

the printing press, computers, axes, hammers, mixers,

cappuccino machines, bulldozers, the Internet, washers,

dryers, automobiles, ink pens, paper, laptops, and airplanes.

In short, fulfilling the cultural mandate implies inventing

and employing technology.

Mankind has certainly invented and employed technolo-

gy in abundance and we benefit greatly from technology.

Technology has allowed us to live happier and more produc-

tive lives. In other words, technology has been our “friend.”

Personally, technology has been my friend. For fifteen

years I worked as an electrical engineer and helped develop

technology that accomplished amazing things. The team I

worked with created tools such as laser-enabled, night-vision

devices and equipment that allowed aircraft pilots to moni-

tor ground-level conditions. Technology is our friend every

day. Think of how:

• X-ray technology helps maintain safer borders;

• Lasers correct failing vision;

• Grocery store scanners get us out of a store in less time;

• ATM machines give cash 24 hours a day;

• Pacemakers, artificial limbs, and cochlear implants

correct disabilities and save human lives;

• The Internet makes way for worldwide communication

and commerce like never before;

• The automobile widens our geographical options

for work, school, and play;

• Telephones and cell phones give us instant and

sometime critical communication.

Without question we have all benefited from technology.

Advances in the medical, communication, transportation,

entertainment, and information fields are staggering and just

plain mind-boggling.

However, because sin has

entered the world, everything is

affected, not only human beings,

but also the technology humans

create. Often we view technology

in terms of its benefits, which are many, but in order to be

discerning people we must also ask if there is a cost associat-

ed with the technology that is so involved in our lives.

Just as technology is our friend, is it also our foe?

Neil Postman writes, “A new technology does not

add or subtract something. It changes everything” [italics

added].2 In other words, technology is not neutral. There

is a cost associated with its use. Postman goes on to write,

“[technology] attacks the culture” and seeks “…to become

the culture.” 3 Postman argues that culture as we know it is

fighting for its very existence because of technology.

Technology is changing our reality. In many ways, our

reality is not defined by our Christian worldview, but rather

by the worldview of technology and its virtues: productivity,

speed, efficiency, and convenience.

Technology is changing or re-defining our reality in at

least three key relationships: first, how we relate to ourselves,

second, how to we relate to mankind, and third, how we

relate to God.

Man Separated from Himself

First, technology has led to man being separated from him-

self. In other words, man is separated from what it means to

be made in the image of God. To be made in the image of

God means, among other things, that we are thinking,



LUKE BOBO (M.Div.’03)Director of the Francis Schaeffer Institute

engaging, hands-on, reasoning, working moral agents.

But technology has attacked this facet of what it means

to be human. With the advent of some technologies, man

is separated from his own dignity and image.

Man’s dignity and self-image suffers because technology

has “graduated” the likes of typesetters, technicians, students,

and aircraft pilots to mere button pushers and machine ten-

ders. For example, in many automotive factories, instead of

hands-on operation, men and women have become sitting

observers of robots or computer screens. Sensory motor skills,

acquired over decades, are being lost through atrophy.

Consider the clerk at your local grocery store who scans

your food across a laser. The computer system does all the

work for him or her. The system keeps track of inventory.

The system identifies the product and totals the grocery bill.

What is the cost of such convenience? Andy Crouch writes,

“technology has given us…devices in abundance, inconspic-

uous black boxes that replace things that demanded skills…”

[italics added].4

In other words, the cost of using a computerized cash

register/laser scanner system is that the grocery clerk’s

mathematics skills get duller and duller. When our machines

think and do for us – what do we gain? What do we lose?

Who has dominion?

Man Separated from Mankind

Second, technology has led to man being separated from

mankind. That is, technology makes it possible to have

less and less contact with society. Some technologies

have replaced the personal man-to-man interface with the

impersonal man-to-machine interface. Again Andy Crouch

writes, “technology has given us…devices in abundance,

inconspicuous black boxes that replace things that

demanded skills and shaped relationships” [italics added].5

Consider this example. A St. Louis-area youth pastor says

that with the advent of instant text messaging and e-mail,

he is finding teenagers to be socially challenged. Why?

Two factors of cyber-space communication inhibit meaning-

ful and deep conversation. One factor is the short choppy

style of communication that depends on abbreviations more

than well-constructed sentences. (If you are going to BBL6

and you think GMTA7 [IMHO]8 , you know what I am talk-

ing about.) Another factor is the lack of actual listening that

happens in such communication. One cannot listen while

“dialoguing” with a friend in cyberspace. Quentin Schultze

writes, “…all good human communication still starts with

listening.” 9 How can one “listen” in cyberspace or when

sending messages back and forth via the cell phone? In our

already socially fragmented world, the idea of socially chal-

lenged teenagers troubles me.

The man-to-man separation is also related to economics.

Not every person or family can afford technology. Neil

Postman writes, “…the benefits and deficits of a new tech-

nology are not distributed equally. There are, as it were, win-

ners and losers.” 10 Social scientists have called this phenome-

non of winners and losers the “digital divide.” The poor may

be interested in technology, but necessities for living –

shelter, food, and clothing – trump this interest. This is not

only true for the poor in the United States. Entire countries

lag behind in modern development. For instance in the Arab

world, “there are 18 computers per 1000 people compared

with a global average of 78.3 [computers per 1000 people].

Fewer than two percent of Arabs have access to the Internet.

The reasons? Widespread poverty, low literacy rates and

inferior phone lines.” 11

Some segments of our society just do not speak the

language of e-mail, megabytes, CD ROM, RAM, and zip

files – this is especially true among the elderly. The poor, the

elderly, and those in undeveloped countries are alienated and

isolated from the world of costly technology that so many of

us take for granted.

A church staff should never assume a newsletter sent by

e-mail will be received by everyone in the congregation.

Wilbert Shenk warns, “we the church must reflect on the

nature of modern culture and its impact on human beings –

both individually and collectively.” 12 The church would be

foolish to apply or appropriate a technology without first

assessing the pros and cons regarding its use. Shenk goes on

to write, “… technology seems to offer many opportunities

for an expanded…means of witness. But all technology is

based on technique. Scholars have demonstrated that tech-

nique results in alienation. If the church relies on technique

to carry out its witness, what is to guarantee that it will not

result in alienation?” 13

Francis A. Schaeffer Institute


Man Separated from God

Third, technology has led to man being separated from

God. Technology can seduce us into believing that we are in

control because we are fast, efficient, and productive. We are

able to make our lives “fuss” free. A worldview defined by

technology leaves no room for God’s providence in our lives.

Who needs God if we are able to control and orchestrate our

own lives?

How do we address the serious problems of our techno-

logical day? Neil Postman writes, “the computer argues…

that the most serious problems confronting us at both per-

sonal and public levels require technical solutions through

fast access to information otherwise unavailable.” 14

As Christians, do we see reality through the lens of technol-

ogy or through the lens of Scripture? Do we see answers to the

problems confronting us at both personal and public levels

through the lens of technology or through the lens of Scripture?

Do we expect God to be fast, efficient, and practical without

a great sacrifice or fuss on our part? Is God, like technology,

viewed as just another technique to try? For example, can

technology lull us to believe that prayer is an option?

A friend of mine attended a church leadership retreat

recently. The senior pastor reviewed the previous year and

talked about his vision for the future. The retreat started at

8:00 a.m. and ended at 4:00 p.m. Much to my surprise, my

friend informed me that they spent a grand total of thirty

minutes in prayer. He later wrote on his survey that the

church leadership needs to spend the bulk of the time in

prayer for this awesome Kingdom work. Is this unique to my

friend’s church? I suspect it is not. Is this because prayer is

seen as just another ‘tool’ in our ‘technocratic tool box?’

Has your view of God changed in our technocratic age?

So what is the Christian response to technology?Consider the following ways to respond:

1. Praise God. If you are reading this magazine, sitting

in an air-conditioned room, and you have a clock to

tell what time it is, you are a beneficiary of technology.

Praise God for technology – it is a good gift!

2. Pray. Pray for discernment for the appropriate use

of technology.

3. Use technology in moderation. Learn to take

sabbaticals from technology, otherwise technology

can become our ‘master.’

4. Technology for man, not man for technology. The

Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12 “…I will not

be enslaved by anything.” We must be careful that tech-

nology is not enslaving us. For instance, remember “e”

in e-mail does not mean emergency but rather electronic.

5. Weigh the pros/cons of using technology.

For example:

– When is it better to make a phone call versus

sending e-mail? This especially applies in conflict.

Are you saying in an e-mail what you do not have the

courage to say face to face?

– Do you seek to be known or be anonymous through the

use of technology?

– When you use technology to save time, do you then use

that saved time to step out and engage in relationship or

to become busier and busier?

– Are you becoming weaker either physically or mentally

because technology is doing work for you? If so, what can

you do to exercise the mind and body God gave you?

6. Be human. We live in a culture where “listening and

speaking have become of secondary importance.” 15

But part of being made in God’s image is being personal

and relational as we work together to develop creation.

Is your use of technology hindering the relational side of

you? Jesus was personal and relational. Let’s imitate Him.


1 Wolters, Albert M., Creation Regained,(Grand Rapids, IL: Eerdmans Publishing, 1997), 36.

2 Postman, Neil, Technology: The Surrender of Culture to Technology,(New York, NY: Vinage Books, 1992), 18.

3 Ibid, 28.4 Crouch, Andy, “Rekindling Old Fires,” Christianity Today,

August 5, 2002, 56.5 Ibid, 56.6 Be back later7 Great minds think alike8 In my humble opinion9 Schultze, Quentin J., “Technology and Moral Turmoil: Virtue,

Democracy, and Faith in the Information Age,” The WitherspoonFellowship Lectures, April 11, 2003, 8-9.

10 Postman, 9.11 Bahrani, Yasmine,“Internet Will Help Open Up Arab World,”

USA Today, Friday, Nov 14, 2003.12 Shenk, Wilbert, Changing Frontiers of Mission, (Maryknoll, NY:

Orbis Books, 1999), 136.13 Ibid, 136.14 Postman, 119.15 Burke, James and Ornstein, Robert, The Axemaker’s Gift: Technology’s

Capture and Control of Our Minds and Culture, (Penguin Putnam Inc.,1997), 307-08.


■

Pastors know they are anything but lone rangers. Likewise a

seminary that serves the Church must provide a curriculum

that acknowledges this reality.

Over the years Covenant Theological Seminary has seen

a growing need to offer more training opportunities for

church support staff. These individuals serve congregations

in specialized ministry roles under the leadership of church

elders. They are the children’s ministry coordinators, Bible

study leaders, campus ministry leaders, and more.

For support staff, often the only formal training available

comes in the form of weekend seminars, some of which focus

more on technique than Biblical and theological training.

While still maintaining a focus on its central mission

of pastoral training, this Fall Covenant Seminary will

begin offering a Master of Arts in Educational Ministries

(M.A.E.M.) degree to equip individuals serving in roles that

complement the work of the pastor.

Core courses for the M.A.E.M. are designed to give stu-

dents a foundation in Bible, theology, and educational theo-

ry. The M.A.E.M. has a high level of integration between

classroom study and ministry practice. Students complete

50 credit units of study and 150 hours of supervised field

education (non-credit). The entire program is completed

with a capstone project which helps students synthesize

their course work and field education experiences.

M.A.E.M. students can complete their entire two-year

course of study on campus at Covenant Seminary (local

track) or study at the seminary for one year and finish the

degree through Covenant Seminary’s Access Distance

Education (co-op track).


New Degree Offering Serves Non-ordained Ministry Leaders

MASTER OF ARTSin Educational Ministries

Dr. Donald Guthrie, Vice President for Academics and AssociateProfessor of Christian Education.

Covenant Seminary Introduces the

The M.A.E.M. has been developed to train:

• Christian Education Directors

• Bible Study Leaders

• Children’s Ministry Leaders

• Campus Ministry Leaders

• Missionaries

and others with responsibilities

in educational ministry


Master of Arts in Educational Ministries

SUGGESTED SEQUENCE OF REQUIRED

COURSES FOR THE M.A.E.M.

First Year

CC210 Outreach to Contemporary Culture 3 units

CE501 Educational Foundations 3 units

CE503 Educational Leadership/ 3 units

Administration in the Church

PT310 Spiritual and Ministry Formation 2 units

OT410 Bible Content Overview 1 unit

ST300 Covenant Theology I 3 units

CE502 Teaching and Learning 3 units

CO320 Marriage and Family Counseling 2 units

NT216 New Testament History and Theology 3 units

ST220 Man, Christ, and Redemption 3 units

Units of Approved Electives 3 units

Second Year

WM310 God’s World Mission 2 units

CH200 The Story of Christianity 3 units

ST360 Christian Ethics 3 units

Units of Approved Electives 10 units

Capstone Project 3 units

Non-Credit Field Education requirements: 150 hours

Field Education is to be started no earlier than the second

semester of the degree and completed prior to graduation.

Degree Totals

Biblical/Theological Foundation 25 units

Education Foundation 25 units

*50 units

*Students who do not pass a required

Bible content exam will be required

to take an additional 6 hours in Bible.

As with all Covenant Seminary Degree

offerings, the M.A.E.M. is accredited

by the Association of Theological Schools.

“For years CovenantSeminary has receivedrequests to offer moretraining opportunities for church workers andministry leaders whocomplement and supportthe work of the pastor.The M.A.E.M. has been developed to meetsuch a need.”

– Donald Guthrie, Vice President for Academics

For more information

about the M.A.E.M.,

call 1.800.264.8064 or e-mail

[email protected].

Ordinary PEOPLEExtraordinary HOPE


This past summer, I took my family to the World War II

Memorial in Washington, D.C. We visited the memorial

on the 60th anniversary of D-Day. My family arrived with

crowds of aging veterans, under stormy skies, and flags at

half-mast for the passing of President Ronald Reagan. In

the midst of such a moving memorial, we tried to take in the magnitude of

the sacrifice and significance of ordinary people who served our nation so

faithfully with an extraordinary hope.

An inscription on one wall reminded us why we could

never fully comprehend the importance of ordinary people

fulfilling an extraordinary calling. The words inscribed told

of the heroics of the soldiers who fought at the Battle of

Midway. You may remember the account of a few hundred

soldiers and airmen on the small Pacific island who with-

stood the assault of the massive Japanese fleet, giving the

American forces time to regroup and respond after the dev-

astation of Pearl Harbor. The inscription on the memorial

regarding those who fought the Battle of Midway reads:

They had no right to win. Yet they did, and in doing so,

they changed the course of a war…Even against the

greatest of odds, there is something in the human spirit –

a…blend of skill, faith and valor – that can lift men

from certain defeat to incredible victory.

A Lesson for the PCA

The lesson remains important to the Presbyterian Church

in America (PCA). Despite our few decades of growth, by

any honest reckoning, we remain a small denomination,

an island in the stream of culture. One could look at the

PCA and see we are:

• dwarfed by the numbers of the mainline church,

• torn by cross-currents of cultural drift attacking

the foundations of faith, family and morality,

• assaulted by a torrent of religious pluralism that

is without precedent in the modern world.

By human measure we, as the PCA, face insurmountable

odds, but by heaven’s grace we have faith in a Sovereign

God who more than evens the odds. We believe that this

God yet calls ordinary people to provide this world with an

extraordinary hope in a liberating Lord. There is much cause

to maintain this belief. Despite the small size of the PCA:

• God has blessed us with the largest Presbyterian

mission force in the world.

On June 16, 2004, Dr. Bryan Chapell reported

on Covenant Seminary to the32nd General Assembly

of the Presbyterian Church inAmerica. The following article

is taken from Dr. Chapell’sreport and adapted for

Covenant magazine.

Dr. Bryan Chapell Reports to the 32nd General Assembly

• Nationally we start more than one new church

every week.

• Our college and university ministry (Reformed

University Fellowship) serves faithfully and effectively

on increasing scores of campuses.

• Our overall denominational growth still counters the

trends of our increasingly secular society, and all other

denominations committed to Reformed orthodoxy.

• As a whole, our church also seems to be moving

beyond historic barriers of region, race and

traditional rivalry.

The Growth of Bible-believing Seminaries

There is no better measure of the blessings that lie before

us than what God is doing in seminaries faithful to the

Scriptures. Only a generation ago, the evangelical seminaries

were the pauper stepsisters of the liberal schools that

possessed the name recognition, money and students.

The mainline schools still have the money, but not the

majority of students nor the sway of power.

Because Bible-believing seminaries have, for decades,

courageously fought for accreditation, fair treatment, and

respect for the historic truths of Christian orthodoxy, we

now have the majority of students, the most viable programs,

and the strongest voice in the theological training of the

next generation of Christian leaders.

But even this assessment does not give full measure

of what God is doing among those seminaries that, along

with their commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture, also

maintain a commitment to the Covenantal and Reformed

theology of the Westminster Standards. There are now more

students training in Bible-believing seminaries committed

to the Westminster Standards than at any single time in

the history of the world.

Yes, we are yet on an island of influence on the global

scene, but on the horizon is the great army of spiritual

leaders that God is preparing – an army of ordinary people

with an extraordinary hope for this world and the spread of

the Gospel. This next generation, too, believes in a sover-

eign God greater than all odds.

What is our calling as we prepare this next, great genera-

tion? It is the task of maintaining faith, unity, and hope until

the time of the appearing of God’s army that seems to be on

such a near horizon.



Dr. Chapell during the 32nd General Assembly with Dr. Ric Cannada,President of Reformed Theological Seminary (middle) and Dr. Sam Logan,Chancellor of Westminster Theological Seminary (far left).

Partnership for Preparing/Supporting Leaders

To that end, as your national seminary, we have the privilege

of locking arms with fellow, faithful seminaries in the vital

calling of preparing all these spiritual leaders of the Lord’s

army of tomorrow. There is more to do than any one of us

could do alone. We need each other and we are here today

to talk about how we are prepared to serve you together.

This past year Covenant Seminary applied for a

$2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to be applied

toward sustaining pastoral excellence. That grant was jointly

prepared by Covenant Seminary, Reformed Theological

Seminary, and Westminster Seminary with the promise

that we would join together to help sustain pastoral excel-

lence among current leaders in the local church. Our joint

understanding is that, given the challenges and corrosions

of this culture, our pastoral equipping cannot be finished

when we graduate students. We are pledged to work together

to provide continuing training and support for local church

leaders in order to sustain pastoral excellence. Together the

three seminaries will provide renewal retreats for pastors

and training seminars in small group settings for both

teaching and ruling elders. More details will follow in

coming months about these joint efforts. At this point we

are pleased to communicate our partnership and express

our thanks for this opportunity.

At Covenant Seminary we will coordinate these efforts

with the new director of the Center for Ministry Leadership,

Rev. Dr. Bob Burns. At Covenant Seminary, we will also

conduct a special program where ruling elders will be invited

to participate with their pastors in considering how to grow

in shepherding the local church. In addition, each year

we will invite a PCA pastor and an international church

leader to be in residence at Covenant Seminary in order

to give students a clearer and closer vision of what local

church leadership means in the American culture and in

other cultures.

Finally, we are hosting an annual fall conference at the

seminary for all of you to come and think with us about the

future of the Church and how to sustain excellence in our

ministry to her. The conference is called Connect (see page

13) and will be held from Oct. 19 to 20, 2004. This year,

Tim Keller, Alistair Begg, and Jerram Barrs, among others

will join us as conference speakers.

Covenant Theological Seminary, Reformed Theological

Seminary, and Westminster Seminary have great apprecia-

tion for each other and recognize together the great calling

God is jointly giving us to prepare an even greater genera-

tion of ordinary people with an extraordinary hope.

New Resources from Covenant Seminary

As we seek to serve the Church, there are three resources

and one program that I want to make sure you know about:

1) Profs. Robert Peterson and Michael Williams have

written a book on historic Calvinism that addresses

the arguments and assumptions of our largely

Arminian church culture. The book, Why I am Not

an Arminian, is available now and will be widely used

in our schools and churches in the future.

2) Some of the most corrosive influences on faith in our

families come from American pop culture. Dr. Richard

Winter has recently written a book called Still Bored

in a Culture of Entertainment to help your church and

children understand and see through the false idols

of this culture.

3) Recently, one of the most controversial issues in the

church has been the so-called “New Perspective” on

Paul. In a two-hour session recorded at Covenant

Seminary, our faculty combined efforts to provide

Missouri Presbytery of the PCA with background,

understanding and, where necessary, rebuttal. Included

is also a clear articulation of the historic, Biblical

understanding of justification, and the importance of

the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. Audio mes-

sages from this teaching time are available on the

Covenant Seminary website.


Ordinary People, Extraordinary People

…we have the privilege oflocking arms with fellow,faithful seminaries in the vital calling of preparing allthese spiritual leaders of theLord’s army of tomorrow.

In these few examples, I hope that you will see what

Covenant Seminary seeks to do for the sake of the Church.

We seek to provide expert, pastoral leadership regarding

the most historic issues of the Church, as well as prepare

Church leaders to handle current culture and, even

current controversy.

As the Lord enables, Covenant Seminary also strives to

serve local churches as we learn from church leaders about

the most pressing training needs for church staff. In response

to many requests, Covenant Seminary has begun to offer

a Master of Arts in Educational Ministries (MAEM) to

train your Christian Education and other non-ordained

Staff workers (see page 22).

Back to a Battle

On the day my family visited the World War II Memorial

the grounds were crowded with veterans for the D-Day

commemoration. Many were there with generations of

family members celebrating the service of veteran grandfa-

thers. Some placed vintage 1940’s photographs of those who

served along the wall where plaques marked their state of

origin or the battlefield where they fell.

Close by, another crowd drew our eyes. It was a group of

men and women – Asian, Arabic, Hispanic, and African.

They were not just from another generation, but also from

other people groups of the world. Like us, they were gathered

in peace and freedom due to the service of those who gave

themselves in our greatest war.

Again, the message is ours to see and to claim, if we will.

As we strive together for our Savior’s cause, we not only

secure the spiritual liberty of future generations, we equip

them to secure our Savior’s kingdom for the peoples of the

world that will all gather under His banner. We have the

privilege in this generation of preparing the next generations

for His great day.

Perhaps it sounds impossible, vain glorious, or even fool-

ish for the small likes of us to anticipate such a victory. But

we dare to believe in such a future because we do believe in

such a Sovereign Savior whose pattern and promise are to

use ordinary people who possess an extraordinary hope in the

Kingdom of our Lord. ■


We have the privilege in this generation of preparingthe next generations for His great day.

Recent Faculty Publications

Why I am Not an Arminian By Dr. Robert Peterson,

Professor of Systematic Theology,

and Dr. Michael Williams, Professor

of Systematic Theology

This book explores the Biblical, theological, and historical background to the Calvinist-Arminian debate. In doing so theyexplain why they see aspects of Arminian theology troubling both Biblically and theologically. The irenicnature and keen insight of this book will be appreciatedby laypeople, pastors, and scholars alike. This book is the companion volume to Why I Am Not a Calvinistby Jerry L. Walls and Joseph R. Dongell.

Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment:Rediscovering Passion and WonderBy Dr. Richard Winter, Professor of Practical Theology

Though we have hundreds of entertainment options today,Western culture is battling an insidious disease. It’s an epidemic ofboredom. Intrigued by this “deadnessof soul,” Dr. Richard Winter uses thelatest historical, physiological, andpsychological research to probe thenature, causes and effects of boredom. He explores whysome people are more likely to get bored than others;the indifference and loss of meaning among youth; how advertising promotes apathy; and the link between boredom and addictions to violence and pornography.Not satisfied with mere description and analysis, Dr. Winter also offers practical ways to counteract boredom by learning to live with passion and wonder.


Both of these resources are available throughCovenant Seminary’s online store:

www.covenantseminary.edu

Where Is the Class of 2004 Serving?

The following statistics show the occupa-

tions of December 2003 and May 2004

Master of Divinity* graduates who have

been placed as of July 10, 2004.

Associate Pastor 55%

Youth Pastor 3%

Church Planting 10%

Campus Ministry 3%

Missions 8%

Other Ministry 13%

Graduate School 5%

Marketplace 3%

*ordination track only

Sean Lucas JoinsSeminary Faculty/Staff

Rev. Sean Lucas has joinedCovenant Seminary as CandidateRelations Coordinator. Amongother duties, Sean serves as a liaison between local presbyteriesand seminary students who areministerial candidates in thePresbyterian Church in America.Sean will work with students andpresbyteries throughout theprocess of coming under care, fulfilling internship requirements,and becoming licensed. Sean’sposition is a newly developed roleat Covenant Seminary. Sean alsoserves as Visiting Professor ofChurch History. He will teach acourse titled The Life and Thoughtof Jonathan Edwards in Spring2005. Prior to joining the semi-nary staff, Sean served asAssistant Pastor of CommunityPresbyterian Church in Louisville,Kentucky. Sean holds a Ph.D. inHistorical and TheologicalStudies from WestminsterTheological Seminary. His booktitled Robert Lewis Dabney: A

Southern Presbyterian Life will be released by P&R Publishing in 2005. In June Sean receivedone of four research fellowshipsfrom the Presbyterian HistoricalSociety for his book project: For a Continuing Church:Conservative Dissent in thePresbyterian Church in the United States, 1934-74.

Peterson BecomesSystematic Theology Chair

Dr. Robert Peterson was appoint-ed to serve as Chair of CovenantTheological Seminary’sSystematic Theology Departmentthis past July. Dr. Peterson hasserved on the Covenant Seminaryfaculty since 1990. His mostrecent books are Adopted by God: From Wayward Sinners toCherished Children (P&R 2001)and Why I am Not and Arminian(co-authored with Dr. MichaelWilliams, IVP 2004). Hell Under Fire, a book co-edited by Dr. Peterson will be released byZondervan in December of 2004.

Campus Construction

The lower portion of CovenantSeminary’s Rayburn Chapel was renovated this past summer to help meet current classroomneeds. Two classrooms were combined into one, another class-room was updated, and smallerrooms were prepared to accom-modate small group gatherings.Additionally, the large classroomin Founders Hall is being used for much-needed communitygathering space. The FoundersHall change will help seminaryadministrators determine howsuch a space could be developedand used in the future in order to facilitate ministry training in community.


CAMPUSFor a campus calendar, log on to www.covenantseminary.edu.

new

s

Faculty Itinerary

Jerram Barrs, Professor ofChristian Studies andContemporary Culture, inCincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 24-26,teaching for North CincinnatiCommunity Church’s Institutefor Contemporary Christianity;in Augusta, Ga., Oct. 8-10,teaching for First PresbyterianChurch’s EvangelisticConference; in Las Cruces,N.M., Nov. 4-7, teaching forUniversity Presbyterian Church.

David Calhoun, Professor of Church History, in Paxton,Ill., Sept. 18-20, speaking forWestminster PresbyterianChurch’s Mission Conference; in South Carolina and Georgia,Sept. 23-25, leading a ChurchHistory Tour for FirstPresbyterian Church of Augusta,Ga.; in Augusta, Ga., Sept. 25,preaching for First PresbyterianChurch and presenting the completed bicentennial history of the church called Cloud ofWitnesses: The Story of FirstPresbyterian Church, Augusta,Georgia, 1804-2004; in St. Louis,Mo., Oct. 9, 10, teaching forCentral Presbyterian ChurchMissions Conference; in CollegePark, Md., Oct. 29-31, teachingfor Wallace Presbyterian ChurchReformation WeekendConference.

Jack Collins, Professor of Old Testament, in San Antonio,Tex., Nov. 18, presenting apaper on Bible translation philosophy for the EvangelicalTheological Society.

Zack Eswine, AssistantProfessor of Homiletics, in St. Louis, Mo., Sept . 12,preaching for the ChineseGospel Church; in Indianapolis,Ind., Sept., 24-26, teaching forGrace Presbyterian Church’sFamily Camp; in St. Louis, Mo.,Oct. 10, preaching for theChinese Gospel Church; inRidgehaven, N.C., Oct. 18-22,speaking for KeenagersConference; in St. Louis, Mo.,Nov. 7 and 10, preaching for the Chinese Gospel Church.

Robert Peterson, Professor of Systematic Theology, in St.Louis, Mo., during October andNovember preaching for GoodShepherd Presbyterian Church.

Jay Sklar, Assistant Professor of Old Testament, in Augusta,Ga., Sept. 9-12, teaching andpreaching for First PresbyterianChurch.

Dan Zink, Assistant Professor of Practical Theology, in Eureka,Mo., Nov. 19-20, leading a couples’ retreat for HeritagePresbyterian Church.

Update on Dr. Chapell’s Sabbatical

Seminary president, Dr. Bryan Chapell, was on sabbatical this pastspring semester and for a portion of the summer. During that time hecompleted a revision of Christ-centered Preaching (to be re-released byBaker Book House in early 2005) and wrote a new book on prayer (to be released by Baker Book House in late 2005). Dr. Chapell’srecent teaching opportunities have spanned the globe includingScotland, Kenya, Montana, and Washington D.C

Covenant is published by CovenantTheological Seminary, the NationalSeminary of the Presbyterian Church in America.

The purpose of Covenant Seminary is totrain servants of the triune God to walkwith God, to interpret and communicateGod’s Word, and to lead God’s people.

Volume 19, Number 3. ©2004

Executive EditorDavid Wicker

Managing Editor and WriterEileen O’Gorman

Associate Editor for Prophet, Priest, & King articleRick Matt

WriterJoel Hathaway

Copy EditorsBetty PorterHuntley Cooney

CirculationPaul Rawlins

PhotographyFranmarie GreggNat BelzEd EubanksLacour-Niesen Visuals, Inc.

Design and Production501creative, inc.

Covenant Theological Seminary12330 Conway RoadSt. Louis, Missouri 63141

Tel: 314.434.4044Fax: 314.434.4819E-mail: [email protected]

Visit Covenant Seminary on the Internet atwww.covenantseminary.edu

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripturereferences are taken from the Holy Bible,New International Version®, NIV®, ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International BibleSociety. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) arefrom The Holy Bible, English StandardVersion, ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, adivision of Good News publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

PR0408-001

A beloved member of the Covenant Theological Seminary

community went on to glory on June 21, 2004. While on an

archaeological excavation trip in Jordan, Dr. W. Harold Mare

was involved in an automobile accident and suffered injuries

which unexpectedly took him from this life.

Dr. Mare was a long-time faculty member, joining the

faculty in 1963. He was a founding member of the Covenant

Seminary Board of Trustees. Although Dr. Mare officially

retired in 1984, he taught courses as a professor emeritus up

until his final days.

Dr. Mare could be found on campus almost daily teaching

and leading the W. Harold Mare Institute for Biblical and Archaeological Studies

which is housed at Covenant Seminary. Despite his age and some health problems,

Dr. Mare was tireless in his studies, writing, and his devotion to the work of the Abila

Archaeological Project (www.abila.org). Dr. Mare had served as Dig Director for the

Abila of the Decapolis Project since 1980. Abila is an extremely large Roman city

which bears in its remains the signature of the early Church. In his archaeological

work, Dr. Mare acquired the nickname of “Happy Harry,” reflecting his energetic,

ebullient personality.

During Dr. Mare’s memorial service at Covenant Presbyterian Church in St. Louis,

Mo., on July 2, 2004, colleague Dr. David Calhoun called Dr. Mare “a beloved brother

and respected father in the faith.”

Prior to joining the faculty of Covenant Seminary, Dr. Mare served as pastor

of an independent church in Arden, Del. (1945-46); instructor for Faith Theological

Seminary (1946-53); founding pastor of First Bible Presbyterian Church* in Denver,

Colo., (1953-60); and pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, N.C., (1960-63).

Dr. Mare’s loving wife Betty passed away in May of 2002. The Mares are survived

by five children (Myra, Sally, Nancy, William, and Judith) and their families.

The bibliography of Dr. Mare’s published works is extensive and includes numerous

articles and books on archaeology as well as New Testament studies and instruction in

New Testament Greek. His most recent book, New Testament Background Commentary,

A New Dictionary of Words, Phrases, and Situations in Bible Order, will be published by

Christian Focus Publications later this year.

Esteemed by colleagues and friends, admired and respected by students, Dr. Mare

would certainly desire others to remember him by saying, “To God alone be the glory.”

He fell asleep in this life, only to wake in the next, hearing those loving words of his

loving Savior, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come…take your inheritance,

the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matt. 25:21, 34).

*now Covenant PCA, Wheat Ridge, Colo.

Harold Mare joins the worship celebration at the2004 Covenant SeminaryBaccalaureate service

Celebrating the Life of

DR.W. HAROLD MARE (1918-2004)

COVENANT MAGAZINE Fall 2004 www.covenantseminary.edu Training Servants of the Triune God

Some of Chris Hucklas’ first theology les-

sons were in a parking lot in his home-

town of St. Catharines, Ontario. Between

Chris’s final year of high school and first

year of university studies, he spent one

year managing a parking lot – collecting

fees, keeping watch, and, in between,

studying the Bible.

Not too many months earlier Chris

(M.Div.’06) had met a co-worker who

caused him to stop and notice the way

she lived her life. “She was different,”

Chris says, “She was a Christian whose

example really stood out to me.”

Soon Chris decided that he should begin attending church.

“Even at that point, church attendance was a dead thing for me,”

Chris remembers. “I thought I was going to be a good person and go

to church. But it was not until I got involved in a Bible study that I

started to realize that my own perceptions of my goodness were mis-

guided. In seeing those misguided ways, I was also directed to the

saving grace of God.”

Through a series of unforeseen circumstances, Chris delayed his

entrance into university and spent one year managing the parking

lot. “I had a lot of time on my hands,” Chris says with a smile. “I

read the Bible, listened to sermons, and read Christian books. I was

also confronted by various people from

cults or other groups trying to convert

me, which was challenging. But I asked

the Holy Spirit to guide me in truth.”

The Holy Spirit did guide him. Chris found a good church,

attended university, and upon graduation began working in

federal politics. Working within the Parliament of Canada, Chris

was thrilled to have the opportunity to make a positive contribution

to his country. Yet he still had another desire that he was putting off

until the right time. He felt called to pastoral ministry.

Upon transitioning out of his job in

politics, Chris returned to his hometown and

home church. There he met someone who

blessed him with a gift. “God providentially

brought someone into my life who offered to

help me go to seminary,” Chris says. “This

person knew that I was hoping to enroll in

seminary at some point, and also knew that

I did not have the resources to do so.”

Chris says he chose to attend Covenant

Theological Seminary because he wanted

to go to a seminary that sought not only to

reform culture, but also to revive it. Covenant

Seminary’s regard for the authority of

Scripture also vitally impacted his decision. “I wanted to go to a

school that really took the Bible seriously and was faithful to the

Scriptures, but also had a broad outlook, building bridges with the

community,” Chris says.

Today Chris says he is not just learning theology lessons in the

classroom, as important as that is; he is learning about character.

“It is not just the material presented in the classroom that prepares

me for ministry; it is also the demonstrated character of the profes-

sors,” Chris says. “Those two things prepare me to bring people

truth while seeking to love them.”

Chris can certainly envision himself returning to Canada to

serve a local church and its surrounding

community once he finishes seminary.

On Sunday nights, Chris and a group of

classmates gather together to pray about

where the Lord would have them serve after seminary. “Some of

the people in that group have now graduated and are serving else-

where,” Chris says. “So we see an aspect of the Great Commission

at work. We will all eventually go to different places and hopefully

still pray for one another as we endeavor to serve the Lord and

bring the Gospel wherever we go.” ■

Student Profile

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDCovenant

TheologicalSeminary

Parking Lot Theology

Please pray for Chris and the church ofCanada. Pray that more godly men

would be raised up to serve this country.

Chris Huckla (M.Div.’06)

Covenant Theological Seminary12330 Conway RoadSaint Louis, Missouri 63141

covenant magazine - [fall 2004]

Documents

lord god

words of joshua

issue of covenant magazine

bryan chapell reports

life ofdr

theological terms

pattern of change

sentimentsabout life