July 17, 2009

Due to a summer cold and preaching/teaching
three times on Sunday, I have lost my voice. It has
been a frustrating providence, not least, I’m sure,
to Robert and Cheryl, who were counting on me
to lead singing and to speak at VBS. I thank them
for their patience and hard work making this a
great week for our children, and I thank Anna
Richards, Hannah Stewart, Annalee Cunningham,
Ashtyn Farris, Michael Burks, and Cody Winston
for helping out with the singing!
Since I haven’t been able to talk much this
week, I’ve had some time to reflect upon my
muteness. The Puritans spoke about “improving
your afflictions” – that is, taking advantage of the
trials and tribulations that the Lord sends into
your life, using them to draw closer to God and to
grow in faith, humility, and gratitude. So here are
some of the things I’ve been meditating upon:
I’ve been struck by how tenuous my life and
livelihood is. I speak for a living; in teaching,
preaching, praying, counseling, conversing, encour-
aging, confronting, singing, administrating, etc.
What if I lost my voice completely? I would be
unable to fulfill my calling. Sure, I could still think
and study and write sermons and letters and arti-
cles and papers. But I would have a near impossi-
ble time being your full-time pastor. I would be
like a dentist or doctor or carpenter whose hands
were crushed in a trash compactor, or like an ath-
lete losing his sight. It’s made me so thankful for
the voice God has given me, and the ability He has
given me to provide for my family in this way. I am
completely dependent upon Him.
I’ve also realized how important verbal com-
munication is in life. Losing my voice has made me
see how much I take for granted the ability and
opportunities I have to speak to my wife and chil-
dren, to make a phone call to one of you, to sing
praises to my Savior, to preach twice on Sunday,
to talk to the checkout lady at Wal-Mart. The fact
that our God is a speaking God, and that we are
made in His image, and are therefore speakers as
well, is something we should remember often. The
tongue is a powerful instrument, as James and
Solomon remind us, and so the picture of a hus-
band who grunts responses to his wife while his
head is in front of a computer screen or newspa-
per, or who uses his tongue to verbally lash his
wife and children, is an affront to our Creator and
Savior. “The mouth of the righteous is fountain of
life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals vio-
lence;” “Death and life are in the power of the
tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit”
(Prov. 10:11; 18:21). But don’t forget this proverb –
“When there are many words, transgression is un-
avoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise”
(Prov. 10:19).
Through all this, God’s word to Moses has been
on my heart: “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who
makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I,
the LORD? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your
mouth, and teach you what you are to say” (Exodus
3:11-12). I need to hear that as I prepare to speak
God’s word to you each week. Any sermon I
preach, or Sunday school or Bible study I teach, is a
gift from God; I have no reason to boast in it what-
soever. He gave me not only what I say, but the
physical ability to say it. I need to trust that He is
the one who will feed His sheep through my mouth,
and not fall into pride or despair about my ser-
mons.
I know there is a lot of pain in our congregation,
a lot of affliction, turmoil, struggling marriages,
health issues, depression, discouragement and dis-
appointments, fear of the future, financial/vocational
uncertainty. I pray that God will give you grace to
trust in Him through the valleys and ditches, and
that your cries will be that of the Psalmist: “My soul
cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your
word…I am exceedingly afflicted; revive me, O LORD,
according to Your word…Look upon my affliction and
rescue me, for I do not forget Your law…This is my
comfort in my affliction, that Your word has revived
me…Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I
keep Your word…It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I may learn Your statutes…I know, O LORD, that
your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness
You have afflicted me…If Your law had not been my
delight, then I would have perished in my affliction…”
(Ps. 119:25, 107, 153, 50, 67, 71, 75, 92).
—————————————
Since we just crossed the 500th anniversary
of the birth of John Calvin (July 10, 1509), we’ve
included a few selections from his writings in this
edition of our newsletter, as well as a brief biogra-
phy. Enjoy!
Your Pastor, Caleb