Benediction

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
Wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
Protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
At the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
Once again into our doors.

(Brian, thank you for reading this. I'm sure you know how much it means)


Grace and Peace

In All Of My Remembrance

I am grateful. My heart is full. While this chapter of our story is drawing to a close, our journey together will indeed continue. The relationships that we have are knitted together for eternity.

Practically speaking - there is an electronic connection that I hope to maintain with as many of you as possible! Our website is up and soon will be full of interesting content and pictures and hopefully video. (I'm praying for a good video camera - so if there's one out there... :) ) Be sure to bookmark www.remembermongolia.org and check it frequently! Also, we are going to be using a free Internet phone service called Skype. Download it and give it a try. It's a very cool way to connect and it's free! (You can actually call any land line in the US or Canada form your computer for free.) Our Skype ID is simply BernieAnderson.

Email us. We look forward to hearing from all of you.

It's very simple to remember. I will put a link for each of us below, but it's simply our name (Bernie, Renee, Jonathan or Cori) at remembermonoglia dot org.

Bernie
Renee
Jonathan
Cori

Most of you will be on our mailing list. We will send our regular email updates and prayer requests.

Thank you for 'holding the ropes'. We are deeply indebted to all of you.

The 2006 Yak Polo Shirt

Here is the fashion statement of the summer.

It was quite a moving scene. We walked into our sanctuary and the entire congregation was outfitted with a Yak Polo shirt. I am sure there were some who felt left out because of the fact that we COMPLETELY sold out. However, you can still order your 2006 Yak Polo shirt. Designed by Joel Smythe of the Graphics Lab and modeled below by his wife Lisa.

You can order yours by contacting Damon Adelgren. Damon will get you all the details...

The proceeds do go to the Anderson Outfit to Mongolia Fund. But we know that you want one anyway ...

God's Story

I just read the ESV blog and happened upon a new edition of my favorite English translation of the Scriptures. Click here to read the post.

I just finished teaching a year long course to middle school aged home-schooled students - and the main emphasis for this class was that they understand the unity of the Scriptures and that they see the entire Bible as one story about how God is Glorifying his name by working through history to bring people back to Himself. The Bible is bigger than Sunday School stories. It's surely about the greatest beauty in the universe - the Glory of God through the face of Jesus Christ.

I am happy to see an ESV Bible that takes up this theme!

Together For The Gospel: A Significant Document

I have spent a little bit of time reading through this Statement - and I truly believe that it is a significant statement for our day and age. The need to affirm truth and deny falsehood is long overdue enterprise for the Evangelical Church. I also appreciate the spirit in which this document is written. I urge you to check it out and read the blog.

Together for the Gospel: Affirmations and Denials
Together for the Gospel: Blog

Children's Books, A Pastor's Library and the US Mail

There are four 67-pound bags full of books sitting on a boat (or a truck, or a train - but definitely not a plane) somewhere between here and Outer Mongolia. I was told several months ago of a wonderful service provided by the US Postal service called "International Media Mail". For right around $1 per pound, books can be shipped in bulk all over the world. While I am shipping no where near the entirety of my library to the mission field, I think that as a family we are shipping a lot more books than most. Confessedly, I was feeling a bit guilty about that at first. I told my wife that I wondered if I was holding on to too much. Does one really need so many books? She very wisely assured me that is was quite alright - and reminded me of the fact that we have a family of four - all of whom actually like to read. As I pack and ship the final bags I think about her words with a sense of joy. (Maybe not so much joy as drag my 67-pound bags through the line at the Franklin Post Office amid questioning stares of the curious Franklinite customers).

I read George Grant's Blog this morning (known by its ominous title "The Grantian Florilegium") and was encouraged by his May 9th post entitled "Reading Aloud". I reflect back on the days of reading outloud to my kids. We read "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Hobbit"; "Thomas the Tank Engine", "The Adventures of Uncle Wiggley" and "A Wrinkle in Time" - along with numerous other stories and tales and fables. I guess I can blame our familial shipment of books to Mongolia on the fruit of reading aloud - as to this day both of my children read - and enjoy it.

I think this to be a good thing, as the fact remains that God's revelation of himself has been left to us in a book that needs to be read. It is true, the Holy Spirit must quicken our spirit to awaken to the truth - but like every good story, words and eyes and brain and heart must work together to see that "In the beginning was the Word..."

I will let you know if our books make it all the way to Ulaanbaatar. But even if they don't, shipping them is a joy because I know my family has learned to read and loves to read. That makes a dollar a pound seem like an insignificant expense, indeed.

Wolves and Sheep: smile and proceed with caution

I read this on Justin Taylor's Blog this morning. In light of yesterday's sermon (May 7, 2006), I thought it timely. It makes me smile - and look over my shoulder while proceeding with caution.

"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears."
(Acts 20:28-31 ESV)


""Wolves don't come with business cards that say 'Wolf.' They dress up like sheep, talk like sheep, and are published by sheep publishers."
--Mark Dever

Don't Call It Preaching

I have two sermons left to preach as the pastor of Faith Community Church. This is both exciting and sad.

I am praying for the future of this Church - but as I do, I find myself praying for the future of THE church. I have been only a small voice in the vally when I think of the men of God who have spoken His word to His people in ages past and present and I confessedly wonder where they are today. I am sure they are there - I just don't think we hear about them very much. There is a lot of God talk, but little of the kind of preaching that bears the weight and sobriety of the Gospels. I find myself wondering as I write, "Am I being too harsh? Too morbid? Too negative?".

But I read the words of Lloyd-Jones and Edwards and Whitfield and I feel a frivolous fool. There was preaching greatness; truth filled with passion, sobriety and joy.

I was encouraged when I read this article. There is great danger in reducing preaching to talks about issues or light, amusing dialogue with much opinion and little to no Biblical content. Praise God for a high profile person like John Piper with guts enough to call the church to something higher than growth and success and cultural relevance. Yet, I also read this article with heaviness of heart. Where are the others? I pray that God will raise up the Lloyd-Joneses and Whitfields and Edwardses of this day; men of the Word and prayer who will not be afraid to call people to come and die; men who will passionately plea for people to flee the wrath to come. May God grant such men.

The DaVinci Drivel

You know, I did promise myself that I was not going to enter into the consumer driven debate on the "Davinci Code". With complete intent of sounding absolutely cynical, I think the entire thing is driven by money and selling product in both Christian and secular markets. It may be one massive conspiracy to market goods on the unsuspecting masses - but that's for the consumer to judge. Caveat emptor.

One thing I do know - Dan Brown is a somewhat average fiction writer who has written a book that is ... well ... fiction. Why the media and the Christian community is giving him more serious press time than the war in Iraq is really beyond me. I say - ignore the drivel. However, I did read this article by Barabara Nicolosi and I think she makes a good point. I tend to agree with her. I suppose some would say just stay away from the movies altogether, and that's fine. I do like the "Over the Hedge" option. Frankly, I think it looks hysterical.

Ms. Nicolosi's article is here.