Chris Howlett

New Blog

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:34:57 -0400

New Blog: www.chrishowlett.typepad.com
check it out... see the dogs? They’re not mine. They’re one of the reasons I’m moving the blog... I have to do something with this pic every entry, so kind of a pain. Plus dealing with other pics in a post is not particularly convenient. So, this will probably be my last post on this blog, so point your browser to www.chrishowlett.typepad.com

New Blog coming soon

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 09:02:54 -0400

Hey all, I am working on a new blog in typepad... more versatile in a lot of ways, so keep an eye out and I’ll add a link to the new blog as soon as it’s up and running!

Today I’m playing cruise director for the Wesley Class! We’re going to Liberty, Kentucky to visit the Galilean Children’s Home and eat at their restaurant.

Your Eschatology’s showing

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 22:00:53 -0400

In seventh grade we learned a new word: epidermis. Epidermis is your outer layer of skin. I’m not sure where we learned this, it wasn’t in science because our seventh grade science class had nothing to do with human anatomy. I do know, however, that we started going around telling others who didn’t know the word, “Your epidermis is showing.” This would almost always lead to a stuttered response and shifty embarrassment as the victim of our antic tried to figure out what part of their anatomy that shouldn’t be exposed was exposed. Then we would laugh at them. By the way, the “we” were Jack Baum and me. Jack was my best friend in elementary school and we were generally up to no good.

Well, your eschatology is showing. Your eschatology effects almost every part of how you relate to God and how that relationship is lived out in your everyday living. Eschatology is hugely influential, even if you don’t know what the word “eschatology” means. You still have an eschatology and it influences your way of thinking.

This morning I mentioned that we need a Mind Makeover in the area of our spirituality of workplace. For many of us, God and work don’t mix. For some of us, God and work shouldn’t mix. Let’s just leave God to the private realm of religion and work to the public realm of making money and living as a good consumer, keeping the economy trucking along.

However, God sees things different. What we do at work has eternal consequences. What we do at work is important because God, in Jesus Christ, is making all things new, including me and you. We are a part of God’s New Creation. Heaven and earth are on a collision course, and we are called, in the now, to join God in ushering in his new age in the midst of this present, evil age, which he began to change with the resurrection of Jesus.

That’s where eschatology comes in. Eschatology is a fancy word that basically means the study of last things. Eschaton is the end. What we believe about how God is going to bring everything together at the end of time is our eschatology. If you’re a Tim LaHaye disciple, believing that our primary job is to get saved so we can be ready to escape the last days in the rapture, then what you do right now isn’t really that important, except that you be saved. And, you might want to convince others to be saved because Jesus is coming to rescue us so we can bail out on this evil world we now live in and go off to heaven and be with God for eternity.

This is probably the view of the majority of American Christians. It is not, however, the view of the Bible.

Instead, the Scripture teaches that Jesus is indeed returning, in the blink of an eye, and he is coming to renew the face of the earth. This will be the consummation of the prayer, “thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We’re not escaping to go to heaven, Jesus is bringing heaven here. This place is being transformed and the resurrection of Jesus is the beginning of the transformation process, a process we are invited to join God in propagating by participating with him in Kingdom ministry.

So, your work, that which occupies around 43% of your waking hours in any given week, is more than a means to an end, more than a way to support your lifestyle. God wants to be present in you and in your work, so he can influence this world that he loves, that he sent his Son to redeem and renew.

Biding time is not a Christian response to the ills of this present evil age. No, we are currently engaged in a battle with the powers and principalities that would distract us and destroy those who are living in darkness. What you do at work can be the most potent thing you do for seeing the Reign of God enforced on this planet. It’s a cosmic thing we’re engaged in.

And you thought you were just making a living!!

Well, eschatology effects everything. Next week we’re going to talk about “Sharing Hours,” it’s part two of the message series “Office Hours.” I’m looking forward to seeing you there and seeing what God is going to do through Christ Church to rock Lexington with a bunch of sold-out sinners turning into saints!

By the way, the pic above is my niece, Isabella and daughter, Chloe at the Howlett family get-together near Shepherdsville, today. It was fun! Both Louisville and Kentucky fans were there watching a big screen tv outside! The UK fans were mostly gracious in victory. Much fun and food was had by all!

Back to Class

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:25:01 -0400

I’m excited to be back in church this Sunday! What an awesome experience End of Summer Days was! I’ve already heard all kinds of great ideas for next year. Way to go team! You knocked one out of the park!!

By the way, the pic is a bust of Ralph Waldo Beeson, the man who made the Beeson Program possible. This bust sits in the hallway right outside the Beeson study carrels.

Today we were in Steve Seamands’ Theology of Ministry class. Class runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a lunch break, a couple of other short breaks, and about an hour in small group discussions of part of one of the books we read for class. Today, in our small group, we discussed part of Will Willimon’s book, “Pastor.”

We’re in this class with the residential Beeson Pastors. They’re on campus for eleven months, beginning in July. Next August, these pastors will be back in churches, and there will be a new group of residential Beeson Pastors.

Tomorrow we will only be in class half the day, then the non-residents will have lunch at Shakertown. It will be our last day of class together, and at least one of us is leaving Wilmore tomorrow. I’ll be sticking around on campus until Thursday in order to finish two papers for the Spirituality of Leaders class. The after class assignment for Theology of Ministry is due in December, but it’s a twenty-five page paper that will serve as part of the first two chapters in our dissertations.

I’m ready for August to be over, but I am so glad to have this incredible opportunity. I’ve learned so much and not only that, but the fellowship with the other Beeson Pastors has been an amazing encouragement and a real learning experience, as well.

Lydia’s Doing Great

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:28:23 -0400

Today started early with the alarm going off at 5:00 a.m. We made our way to the hospital for Lydia’s surgery. That’s Roz and Lydia at the hospital this morning in the pic above. She did great and came through surgery fine. Afterwards she experienced some pain from having the bone in her lower arm/wrist manipulated, but after a nice nap at home, she was doing pretty good.

I left the hospital and made my way back to Wilmore where I was pretty late for class. Steve Seamands continued the Theology of Ministry class. Class was great, went a little long, but no one seemed to mind. I came back to the townhouse and tonight we all gathered in our townhouse for spaghetti. Afterward I wrote a personal Growth Plan that is due prior to leaving campus next week in the Doctor of Ministry Office.