August 12, 2010

“ripped from the headlines” of my life

Posted by Isaac Hunter

In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, (and really- how could you? The media is barely covering it) it’s an election year. As is often the case during election years, much ado is made over the “Christian” vote, the intersection of faith and politics, and the separation of Church and State. What does this mean for us as individuals and as a church? What are the personal and corporate responsibilities of God’s people in dealing with the moral issues in the public square? I am not going to try to provide comprehensive answers to those questions in 1900 words or less. My goal in this article is to help us think well and graciously together.

Those questions are larger than any single policy, position, or issue. But sometimes an actual issue helps frame a conversation that can be too easily divorced from reality, so here is an example “ripped from the headlines” of my life.

A gentleman came into my office the other day and said, “What are we, as a church, willing to do to stop gay marriage?” I know this man. He loves Jesus, he loves the church, he loves people of all kinds, and he wants to honor God. I also know that he wanted Summit to make marriage protection petitions available at the church and to move us toward a more public stance on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Earlier that same week, I had talked to a young man after a service who wanted to know if, as a gay man, he was “welcomed at Summit?”

See the quandary? Before moving on to the larger discussion, I do not believe homosexual activities are, or can be pleasing to God. However, people with homosexual proclivities are very much loved by God on the same basis that every other fallen creature is. So the answer to the gay man’s question is an unequivocal “yes.” There are several excellent discussions of the textual force of the Old and New Testaments regarding this issue (Richard Hays’ Moral Vision of the New Testament case study on Homosexuality, 381-406, is an excellent place to start). As a result, I do not think gay marriage (never mind the philological issue) is something Christians can or should embrace. We must speak honestly, in love, about that even if it causes all sorts of consternation. But should we speak together about it in the moral square?

Remember, we are not talking about moral disagreements or moral equivocations here; we are engaging a question of strategy. The significant thing to recognize is that you can agree on ends and disagree on means. Very good thinkers, who love Jesus very much, have agreed morally and vehemently disagreed on strategy. The means and ways that we uphold a Christian view change according to context and circumstance.

Consider what C.S. Lewis said about marriage and the state in Mere Christianity:
A great many people seem to think that if you are a Christian yourself you should try to make divorce difficult for every one. I do not think that. At least I know I should be very angry if the Mohammedans tried to prevent the rest of us from drinking wine.

Read more of ‘ripped from the headlines of my life.’

July 2, 2010

Thanks from the Hunter's

Posted by Isaac Hunter

On behalf of my whole family, I would like to thank you for your kind words, notes of encouragement, and prayers for Ava. We are very grateful.

I wasn’t going to mention anyone by name because I cannot possibly mention everyone by name… but, just because you can’t say everything nice about everyone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say a few nice things about some. So, family members excluded (they’ve all been awesome), here is a woefully incomprehensive list of a few people whose actions over the last few days have been much appreciated.

Tim and Eleanor Tracey: They’ve got lots to do. They shelved a bunch of it. They know Josh and Lisa, and they are there with them. They aren’t trying to be important, they are trying to be helpful, which makes them… Awesome.

Kyle and Sarah Mattingly: Josh and Lisa’s neighbors. Mowing yards… fixing sprinklers, taking care of Josh and Lisa’s ancient dog… Awesome.

Lori and Hannah Groves: Princess Hannah Bannana or Hannahbina is mentioned frequently in the Princess Avabina stories… ‘cause she is one of Ava’s heroes. She is Noah’s age and she lent Ava her iPod for the week. This was very kind. Lori (Hannah’s mom) has been there every step of the way… Awesome

Allison the Night Nurse: Ava really likes her.

Dr. Pattisapu: Brilliant surgeon who did great work with the knife.

Sid Cash: Sid’s a banker and a follower of Jesus. He is the banker for Hunter Vision (and Summit’s as well). He has made sure my brothers have what they need to open the Lasik clinic every step of the way, including this one. His help and faithfulness have been key in relieving some of the Hunter Vision pressures, so Josh can get more done for the clinic and Ava. . If you have any money… you should put it in Sid’s bank, New Traditions. (I’m not joking.) He is a fine man, and I trust him.

I know there are lots of people not on this list that should be, but that doesn’t mean you are any less appreciated. If you’ve said a prayer for Ava—we appreciate it.

If you want to know what you can do next:

1. Keep praying: Josh’s Blog is the best source of information on how to pray each step of the way. The more people praying, the better.

2. Research and let Josh and Lisa know about any non-crazy (i.e. don’t write about the healing power of leaches, bathing in plum juice, or the life-giving melodies of Darius Rucker) treatments for GBM. If you know someone in the field, or you know someone who has been healed of a GBM (particularly as a child), let them know on Josh’s blog.

3. This will seem disconnected, but it is not. If circumstances were normal, I would not use this blog to direct business anywhere, but circumstances are far from normal.

You can sign up here to have your Lasik, Botox, Latisse, or cataract surgery done at Hunter Vision. Josh runs the business side of Hunter Vision. If they have more patients than they can shake a stick at in the first six months, he will have one less thing to concern himself with… that’s a good thing.

The immediate success of this new eye clinic is a minor concern compared to the enormous struggle they are dealing with right now, but the two issues are not divorced—they are intertwined.

My guess is all that comes next will be expensive. Many of the treatment options they are considering may not be covered by insurance, which means they will cost lots of money— Josh’s income is linked to the clinic. If the clinic does well, Josh and Lisa will have greater means to battle this cancer.

Plus, Joel is a genius and a highly skilled surgeon, and he will do a really good job. It’s a win-win… you see clearly and their future looks better.

Mostly I wanted to say thanks. I believe by creed (The Apostles Creed, not Scott Stapp’s band) in “the communion of the saints.” That belief has been confirmed in a thousand different ways in the last week. We are grateful.

July 1, 2010

Thoughts on Ava and Jesus

Posted by Isaac Hunter

When my niece is awake at the hospital, she asks me to tell her stories. She also asks me not to sing. (She has a discerning ear from an early age… I have been dismissed from worship auditions several times at Summit.) Last night, when I ran out of original fairy tale material, I repeated nursery rhymes for her while simultaneously cooking up new yarns to spin about Princess Avabina and her wise and handsome uncle, King Izako. (Thinly veiled? Yes… but it’s my fairy tale.)

One of the nursery rhymes I rehearsed last night for filler: Humpty-Dumpty. You remember it. The poor egg shaped fellow who had the bad tumble and broke all to pieces. His king, whoever he was, must have been a good fellow. He sent his horses and men—all of them—to put Humpty back together. Sadly, they weren’t up to the task.

I suppose the king would have gone himself if he thought it would have done any good. But, he was just a man (possibly an egg-man), but a man nonetheless. Men have their limits.

When I got home from the hospital this morning, I thought of the best king we know from the Old Testament, David. He was not egg-man king, but a very great king and a pretty good man. He said at one point that he would have traded his very life for his son’s, Absalom, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” But, of course, he couldn’t. Men, even kings, have their limits.

I sat in that hospital room last night when she was hurting knowing Josh and Lisa, or any member of our family would literally give anything to trade places with her. But, we can’t. We are not big enough to get that small. We can walk with her. We can stand by her. But, we can’t trade places with her. Men have their limits.

…

There may not be a more visceral and unrelenting sorrow than that of a father and mother who cannot stop a disease that is threatening the life of their child….

Do you know what my brother said to me yesterday? He said, “Sometimes scripture prepares you for stuff that you don’t even think about… The Father watching his Son go to the Cross and choosing to let it happen—the agony of it all. I can’t bear to watch my little girl suffer, and I can’t do a thing about it. This I would never choose. He did—and I don’t know why Ava or why not Ava… I don’t wish it was someone else, I wish it was no one. But I am grateful for God’s love. I see it different now.” (Gratitude and grief are difficult to convey on paper. As soon as the words are penned, they seem a trifle compared to the actual thing. But, I saw both in full.)

Here is truth: the only One in the entire universe who can take our place—did. Mere men or kings (historical or fairy tale) can’t swap fates… That sort of thing required a God. Jesus knew this, and “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

It doesn’t mean that this world isn’t full of sorrows—it is. But, this world is not all there is… this life is not all there is… One day Ava will be whole, healed, and restored. I pray it’s tomorrow, but forever will always be more important than tomorrow, and today is what we’ve got. There is a kind of gratitude that only those who mourn can know.

Is. 53:4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried…

June 28, 2010

My Niece Ava

Posted by Isaac Hunter

My niece has brain cancer. 72 hours ago, she was playing and laughing… Since then, she was taken to the hospital after having bad headaches, and they found a tangerine sized tumor on her brain. They scheduled surgery and removed most of the tumor. They determined it was malignant. That is what we know right now.

Many of you are aware of this already and have been praying for her. We are very grateful for your prayers and ask that you continue them for the duration.

In order of chronology, here is what is and is coming in the near future, should everything remain as is.

1. Ava must recover well from major surgery. The next 24 hours are critical in terms of recovery. Treatment (of any kind) for whatever remains of the cancer cannot begin until she is healthy enough to endure it.
2. The detailed pathology report will be rendered in the next 4 or 5 days. The grade and nature of the tumor should then be known… and the enemy to fight will be clearer.
3. They will then have to decide on a treatment plan.

Please pray:

1. That God would heal Ava quickly and completely.
2. That Josh, Lisa, Ava and Noah would have a palpable sense of peace and God’s presence and strength.
3. That Josh and Lisa would have wisdom about every decision they need to make in the next few days.

Someone asked at the hospital yesterday if all this “had shaken my faith?” In short, my answer was and is “No. “

Worlds fall apart. Anyone who isn’t aware of that hasn’t lived very long or paid much attention. I don’t understand this… but if my faith were contingent only on the breadth of my comprehension I would have little faith (if any) and none to speak of… Either the Jesus of our faith is bigger than our understanding, or He’s not Jesus.

However, not knowing everything doesn’t mean not knowing anything.

Here is what I know I believe: God loves Ava more than the rest of us could combined, God loves Josh and Lisa and Noah, God can heal her immediately, and He promises to heal her ultimately. I believe “our God is an ever present help in our times of trouble.” And, when hell itself seems to have burst open and been poured out… I still believe all of this.

Josh and Lisa have been nothing short of heroic every step of the way. I am amazed at their faithfulness and faith. I’m privileged to see what “every virtue at its sticking point” looks like up close—they are amazing. Ava is a fighter… but she does not fight alone.

May 17, 2010

Sermon Recap--Week 6 on the Ethic of Anticipation

Posted by Isaac Hunter

Yesterday, we wrapped up the series: “The Ethic of Anticipation.”

So we come back to two of the questions we began with…

1) Why don’t we change?
2) Why do we from time-to-time change for the worse?

We forget what we are called to, or maybe more so, why we are called. We are called God’s chosen and holy people. God has chosen us to be real conduits of His grace and love and mercy and kindness and goodness. Our job is not just to survive and plod through another day… No, we are called to be a light in the darkness, and illuminate the good news of great joy for all the people.

We looked at the story of Esau and the importance of making sure we are filling ourselves up, so that we can be poured out for the sake of others and for the sake of the kingdom.

So, what’s the plan? We need each other. We need to be in community with people who love us and love Jesus. And, we need Jesus. We need time with Him and time in His Word.