Worship Wars

Chuck Swindoll addresses a number of topics in his book The Church Awakening. One chapter, in fact, is called "Church Worship: A Commitment ... Not a War." I'd encourage you to read it if you can. 

 

Here's a synopsis:

• The canon isn't closed on church music. Chuck says, "... each new generation will continue to compose fresh choruses of worship and new songs of praise ... and that is as it should be -- it's biblical!"
• To the charge that modern praise music has too much "meaningless repetition," Chuck writes, "Repetition of truth is never without meaning, if the worshiper is sincere (see Rev. 4:8!)." An excellent example is the "Hallelujah Chorus."
• He unashamedly loves the grand old hymns. "They have been my dearest companions in dark hours of loneliness and discouragement and my greatest encouragement in times of celebration and adoration," he notes. "Why? Because the theology of hymns is far too rich and beneficial to lose. The hymn writers were wordsmiths and musicians (seldom the same person) who wove theology and melody together into splendid compositions."
• "... non essentials would include expressions of worship, but never the essence of worship." 

The things that are tough in this life require making a finite decision and not simply surrendering to excuses. People on both sides of the worship wars need to remember that. Just because it's new (or old), doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.

Oh, Shenandoah

Well, tomorrow I'm off to stay overnight at an Airbnb horse ranch on the Shenandoah River. Poor me. Oh, and please don't get me singing THAT song. 

 

The Airbnb owners specialize in dressage. Think: horses doing the ballet. I took dressage lessons from a German instructor when I lived in California. The Germans, in case you forgot, win the gold in dressage every 4 years in the Olympics. This year in Tokyo was no exception. 

Maybe they'll let me ride one of their warmbloods tomorrow. Ya think?

Because I know you are wondering, I'm only taking one pair of shoes with me this weekend. 

I have no clue why I ran in anything other than these shoes for so many years. I just know nothing hurts when I run in Altra Lone Peak 5s. I'm pretty sure it's the zero drop. So light and airy! I'm barefoot all the time unless I'm biking or running so these are actually the only shoes I own. It has been really easy to adapt to zero drop shoes. I never had to ease into mileage with them. I just put them on and ran in them. When I ran 27 miles in them the other week I noticed no problems at all. I love these shoes. I am not sure I could ever go back to regular shoes. I think Altra has ruined me for any other brand. 

That's all for now. Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you!

Quote of the Day

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." Operatic superstar Beverly Sills. 

(Miss Sills obviously never used the grass rather than the sidewalks while rushing to class in college, but I get her point.)

Facing a DNF in Life?

It's called a "DNF." That stands for "Did Not Finish." Every runner gets at least one of these in their racing career. You never intended to drop out of the race but for some reason you absolutely had to. 

Thankfully, I've been spared a DNF thus far. But you never know. Some of the lessons to be learned about ourselves are best learned as we push toward the extreme edges of our abilities. This is true of racing, but it's also true of relationships and careers. 

As you know, I've been enjoying Chuck Swindoll's excellent book Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal. I have never seen Chuck more transparent than in this book. He acknowledges that he spent the first 10 years of his marriage trying to change his wife Cynthia. The fact is, he was destroying his marriage without even being aware of it. "I don't want you to keep telling people we're 'partners' because we're not partners," she told him. "I bear your children, and I cook your meals, and I clean the house, but I'm not really your partner."

Then came the clincher: "You've never accepted me for who I really am."

Ten years into their marriage they began some serious counseling that they both sought. Confesses Chuck, "I'll be honest ... we almost broke apart those first ten years. We didn't, though, because she stayed with me and stuck it out."

In other words, his marriage came that close to being a DNF.

And what about Stonebriar Community Church -- the church Chuck started in Frisco, Texas? 

 

Ten years into that church plant Chuck confesses that " ... those were the most difficult months of my five decades in ministry. Very challenging. Very stressful. Very painful." He adds, "I can't tell you the times that I was tempted to say, 'I'm out of there!'" Why not just take a DNF and move on?

"I didn't," Chuck writes. "I owe so much to Cynthia -- more than our marriage and our ministry. She has encouraged me by her example to hang in there when things get tough."

Now, here are Chuck's words for you and me. Read them carefully.

Some of you are on the edge of quitting something when you ought to stay. You're determined to live for Jesus in your marriage, but it's tough sledding. You pray for that child -- or that parent -- and nothing changes.... I urge you, my friend, hang in there. God is working even though you can't see it.

I've never regretted the times I did not quit a race. Many times it took all the grit I had to stay. But I'm glad I persevered. Even if you do fail, at least you've tried your very best.

Perhaps my hardest race was a 32-mile trail ultramarathon. I hit the wall at about mile 18. There was no way I was going to finish that race. Seven and a half hours after I started, I crossed the finish line. I began to cry. I cried because I had just completed a race I knew I couldn't finish. But I also cried for that 3-year old child who had lost his daddy to divorce. I cried for that 61-year old man whose marriage of 37 years came to an end through cancer. I cried for that 24-year bridegroom who knew nothing about being a husband let alone about love. I cried with sorrow for all the heartache and grief and pain I had known since childhood, and I cried with joy for all the obstacles I had overcome through God's grace. 

That's what running will do for you.

In the end, it all comes down to grace. That's why I go into this weekend's race with hope. There is a quiet confidence that comes from knowing you have survived other battles. And even if I do get a DNF, my confidence is not ultimately in a bib number. Victory lies in being true to yourself and taking on every challenge the Lord brings into your life like the warrior you are. 

Remember, a DNF always trumps a DNS -- Did Not Start. 

Is Running Addictive?

It has to be. All I want to do is get outdoors and put some miles on my legs. The truth is, being a runner means being strong enough to decide not to run for the sake of the greater goal. 

When we run, we work hard. But what good is it to stand at the starting line tired or overtrained? Tapering is as much a training tactic as are your weekly runs. 

We're always walking a thin line in this running world of ours. But for now, I am going to get this sticker for my car. 

The Incredible Hulk Isn't the Only One Wearing Dark Green

Swim assignments have been announced for this weekend's sprint triathlon in Luray. I am one of 330 athletes who will be participating in the sprint distance. Another 300 or so will be competing in the olympic triathlon (which is twice as far). That's a lot of people in the water at the same time. So they've divided us into waves. 

 

As you can see, I am in the "Dark Green" wave. Honestly, they could have stuck me in "Novice" if they wanted to. 

Oh, and my bib number? Check this out:

I hope to give Bob Becker a run for his money. 

By the way, when I saw my bib number, my harebrained mind immediately thought, Hmm, I wonder what "3:14" I can find in the Bible? And guess what I found? You'll never believe it:

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Jesus Christ, is calling me (Phil. 3:14).

Now ain't that a coincidence??!!

So watch for me. I'll be one of the Alzheimers old timers in a dark green swim cap trying not to drown in the wake of a billion other swimmers in front of him.

It's Better to Be Prepared and Not Called Than to Be Called and Not Prepared

Just back from the Y. My preparations for the race on Sunday are now complete. I will take tomorrow and Saturday off from training and allow my body to chillax before the tri. 

My pastor at the College Church in California used to tell us young bucks, "It's better to be prepared and not called than to be called and not prepared. Just ask anyone in the Marine Corps." He was trying to impress upon us the importance of working hard on ministry preparation while we were in school. Likewise, when Billy Graham was speaking at a conference in London, he was asked what he'd do differently if could do his ministry all over again. He said he would have prayed more, and that he would have studied more and preached less. 

James said we shouldn't become teachers unless we are prepared to face greater judgment on that Day. That's a pretty daunting thought when you're about to enter the classroom again after the summer break. But frankly, people know when you are prepared and when you are not. They know when you're preaching from a reservoir of Bible knowledge or from the canteen of Saturday night. They can smell a fraud a mile away. The key to effective teaching and preaching is being simple without being simplistic. Sadly, it is often both.

I feel as prepared as I can possibly be for this weekend's tri. I know there's a chance I won't do well in the race, but it won't be because I wasn't prepared.

What's Holding You Back from Being the Student You Want to Be?

My Greek 2 class starts a week from Monday. Yes, you heard me right. For the first time ever we are teaching a second semester Greek class during the fall semester. I love it.

Students often have trouble negotiating a new semester. I know I did when I was in college and seminary. As I look back, there were several things that kept holding me back from doing the best job I could possibly do in school. Maybe you struggle in these areas too.

1. Sloth. Or you can call it laziness. 

 

A sloth. How did such a cute animal get such a bad reputation?

I am an expert in all things lazy. Born and bred in a culture that was extremely laid back, I grew up without the best sense of self-discipline. I've said this a billion times, but excelling in your studies has nothing to do with your upbringing. It is a decision you make. The moment you begin to rationalize about why you can get away with mediocrity is the moment you start down the slippery slope of getting a D (or worse) in class. I recall the days when seminary students focused on their schooling, and then sort of worked on the side. Now the focus is often on one's work/ministry, and school is something we tack on to everything else, almost as an afterthought. But if God has called you to study, shouldn't you make that a priority? No matter how inclined you are to sloth, sloth is something to overcome, not capitulate to.

2. Letting a poor start defeat you. The fact that I dropped out of beginning Greek after only 3 weeks was no excuse for me to give up. Listen, all of us have had lofty goals, only to see them come crashing down all around us. 

 

Who cares? Let your failures be a springboard to becoming a better you. The fall semester is an opportunity for all us to start afresh and anew. Forget the past. Run full speed ahead into the future.

3. The status quo. By that I mean thinking, "Well, pastor so-and-so doesn't seem to know Greek very well, and he does just fine. I guess I can just get by too." Listen, just because there's a lot of questionable exegesis out there doesn't excuse it. Don't let anybody (including yourself) rob you of the joy of knowing that you are being as faithful as you can to the Greek when you teach or write. You're better than the status quo. 

I constantly need to guard myself against becoming lazy, letting failure defeat me, and being satisfied with status quo thinking. We can all do better at this thing called exegesis.

Are you ever guilty of any of the above?

Greek Makes Bible Reading Fun!

This kind email came from The Netherlands:

Dear Dr. Black,

Thank you so much for making the video lessons available by YouTube. I read and studied the book over and over again. So these video lessons are a big help to comprehend it even better. Greek makes Bible reading and studying real fun with a lot of new refreshing insights.

Many Blessings!

I know. So cool. What's not to like about Greek?

Remember, the idea to record my classes in Addis was completely Becky's. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the link. 

This blogging thing is so much fun! 

P.S. Just added this review to my Greek Portal:

What Satisfies Your Runner's Soul?

Today I took advantage of a break in the rain to get my bike in. 

 

All that's left is tomorrow's swim at the pool. 

That's what I like about this triathlon thingy. You get to use muscles you'd otherwise never use if all you did was run. Biking and swimming create muscles in interesting areas, I must say! Besides, it feels so good to be doing something different every day. Throw in a good weight training session at the Y and life don't get no better. Once you set your goal (for me, that's simply finishing the tri!) both mind and body accept the challenge and learn to enjoy it. 

I am a runner first and foremost but I am also a triathlete who relishes the challenge that the tri affords. I can't imagine trying to juggle more activities ("what do you mean you don't golf and play tennis?"). In the next 4 months I hope to complete my 6th triathlon, my 31st half marathon (next weekend), my 18th full marathon, and my 2nd ultra marathon. Half marathons are actually my main love but the other events also satisfy my runner's soul. 

Let me also say that I love training as much as the events themselves. Every workout is a new and satisfying challenge. That said, I still respect the triathlon that I'm trying to do this weekend. My greatest fear is getting kicked in the teeth during the swim and having to eat apple sauce for the next 6 months. Plus, my teeth are already crooked enough as is. 

Races are an exercise in both patience and listening to your body. Right now it's a very fine line between training too little and training too much, but I like to think I'm managing things well. Yes, I'd like to be stronger and faster, but I also want to stay healthy and active for as long as I can. Our bodies are really good at telling us when we've overdone things. All we have to do is listen to them.

Another Reason I Love Running

There are many reasons why I love the sport of running. But at the top of the list has got to be the selflessness of runners. If I could point to a recent example, at this weekend's Falmouth Road Race in Falmouth, MA, Molly Seidel, fresh off her bronze medal performance in the women's marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, participated in this classic 7 mile race. 

 

But instead of starting the race up front with the other elite women, she started at the very back of Sunday's 8,000-plus participant pool. Her goal? For every runner she passed, the race organizers would donate $1.00 to Tommy's Place, a vacation home in Falmouth for children with cancer. 

 

They ended up donating $4,761 to that worthy cause. 

Stop for a moment and ask yourself, WWID? What would I do? What could I do? I personally think Molly is not very exceptional. Many of us runners have leveraged a race for charity. She just takes it to a new level. And for that, Molly, I say thank you. You can pass me any time you like.

Triathlon T-1 Steps

Am I rusty? I sure am. I haven't done a triathlon in over two years. You're feeling good, you've got lots of energy, then you get out of the water and you go -- "Wait, what am I supposed to do now?" So here's my list of things to do in Transition 1 (swim to bike). 

 

I have to memorize it before race day and basically try to ignore the people nearest to me. It's all about formulating a race plan and then executing it rather than trying to wing it on race day. 

Today I'm also putting together my gear list and then start packing everything. The goal is to bring to the race only what you need. It's also a good idea to practice your transitions. But am I disciplined enough to do that? 

Final training schedule:

Wednesday: 10 mile bike.

Thursday: 1,000 meter swim.

Friday: Rest.

Saturday: Off to Luray, VA!

Sloppy Agape

I've long been a fan of the "Don't sweat the small stuff" philosophy of life. I try to give my attention to the things that truly matter in life, like Mexican food and hot showers after a run. Okay, you know what I mean. I really do try not to sweat the small stuff. I try to use that energy instead to accomplish my big goals in life. 

Granted, that's a lot easier said than done. Especially when you keep reading statements like these in books written by Christian authors who ought to know better:

• The Greek word for "endure" comes from two Greek words meaning "under" and "abide." Christians are to abide under their troubles.
• The Greek word for church is made up of two words that mean "out of" and "call." Hence the church is a group of people who are called out of the world, to be separate from it.
• The Greek word agape refers to divine, selfless love. It's the highest, purest form of love. 

Don't sweat the small stuff, Dave! But honestly, all of us should know better than to commit such exegetical fallacies. Want to say that agape refers to "divine, selfless love"? Then read 2 Sam 3:14-15 in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament:

Here's how the NKJV renders these verses:

In verse 15, both the Greek noun agape and the Greek verb agapao are used. And you still want to tell me that the terms refer to divine, selfless love? In context, here's exactly what these words for "love" are describing:

• He ignores her pleas for mercy.
• He brutally forces himself on her. 
• He rapes her. 

Don't go there. There's a better way. For what it's worth, here's my own definition of agapao, based on the usage of the word in ancient Greek. It has three components to it:

• To highly value something or someone.
• To lavish affection or attention on something or someone.
• To be willing to sacrifice something for the object of love. 

In English, we could use the word treasure instead of "love." To "treasure" something is to jealously safeguard what you consider to be precious or valuable. The term can be used either positively or negatively, just like the Greek word agapao. For example, Jesus said that the Pharisees "love the chief seats in the synagogue." (That was not meant as a compliment.) Which Greek word for love was used here? If you guessed agapao, you guessed right. Or how about the apostle John's words, "Do not love the world or the things that are in the world." Yep, agapao is used here too. You see, we can treasure both fame and worldly pleasure, and the Bible calls that "loving" them. One last example:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

Not surprisingly, the verb used here is also agapao. Why? Because (a) God highly values people, (b) he lavishes his affection and attention on them, and (c) he was willing to sacrifice his very own Son to accomplish their redemption. 

I'm not saying that this definition of love will solve all of your problems of interpretation, as when, for instance, you are exegeting a disputed passage like John 21:15-17. But maybe it will cause you to think twice before engaging in word study fallacies.

The Hay Is in the Barn

That's it. My last run before this weekend's tri. 

 

Today's 5 mile run means I can give my running legs the break they deserve before the big event. As they say, "The hay is in the barn." This means, "The hard training is over. Now you can sit back and enjoy the fruit of your labor." By the way, for farmers, "The hay is in the barn" isn't just a saying. I've spent countless hours getting up square bales and putting them in the barn before dark. 

 

Farming, they say, is hard work. But it's good work. It puts you to bed at night with a good tired if you know what I mean. 

In sum, my running muscles can take a much-deserved break. Thank you, legs, for being there for me. You are such a blessing. In fact, I don't know what I'd do without you!

What to Wear in My Triathlon?

If you read this blog regularly (and I hope you do), then you know I am not exactly the world's best dresser. Maybe it's my Hawaiian upbringing, but all I need is a tank top and swim shorts and I'm good to go. But there are certain occasions when I am forced to think about the proper clothing choices. This weekend's tri is a good example of that. Here's what I am wearing for the race:

This is not me.

Are you kidding? I don't have a big enough wallet to be able to afford a REAL men's tri suit. Instead, I've come up with my own concoction:

What do you think? I bought these shorts and shirt a couple of years ago when I began participating in triathlons and paid maybe 75 bucks for both of them. The shorts are your typical cycling pants that have a chamois padding sewn into the saddle area. The fit is snug so that it stays in place and won't flap in the wind when riding or running. Used with anti-chafing creams, these shorts do wonders to enhance the comfort of the cyclist. I never ride without them. As for the shirt, I'm using your typical cycling  jersey. 

 

Under Armour is now officially sponsoring me, which I why I could afford to retire.

Cycling jerseys were originally made from wool if you can believe it. Today they are made of synthetic fabrics that wick away sweat and keep you dry and comfortable. I will say, however, they fit very snugly. I haven't worn this top in years so I need to take it out for a practice swim/bike/run this week. 

I think this outfit will work pretty well. Even if it doesn't, I will wear it to make me look like a real triathlete even if I'm not one. All for the glory of the sport, of course. 😉

Training Update

Hello again everybody and Happy Monday. This morning I spent an hour at the Y working on strength  training, including my calves. 

 

I do foot and ankle exercises for running because I find it incredibly useful. If you're into running, you most definitely need to strength train at least once a week. My philosophy is light workouts with lots of low weight reps. I never train to the point where I can't manage to run the next day.

My long term goal is to arrive at the marathon starting line in Cincy as fresh and fit as possible. I'm trying not to succumb to the temptation of high weekly mileage. I find that running 5-10 miles per week and then running a race every weekend is about right for my level of fitness. This keeps me on a maintenance schedule so that once or twice a year I can strive for a peak performance at a marathon or an ultra. I use races, like the triathlon coming up this weekend, as my high intensity training. 

I am also learning to listen to my body. There's no better way to find out what's appropriate for you. My weekday exercises are time-outs from stress, both physical and mental. Weekend races will take care of that. But while training, I dial my body to "comfortable" and forget about pain and shortness of breath. And finally, the best training is specific to the muscles you use in the specific event. Your calves, for example, are involved in all three events of the triathlon: swimming, biking, and running. So it pays to take good care of them. 

At last Saturday's 5K in Durham, I waited at the finish line until the last runners had finished the race. These ladies finished in just over an hour. 

 

Talk about perseverance. When I think of their effort I realize that every finisher warrants applause, especially those farthest back. Not a single one of us in that race did less than our best. We were all winners. 

As for this weekend's race, I'm feeling relatively strong all things considered. I still have a lot of fitness that I need to improve but, overall, for not having raced all last year I'm actually pretty happy with how today's workout went. It was a blast. I gotta say a shout out to the local YMCA that does an excellent job of cleaning the equipment and keeping everybody safe. Looking forward to racing this weekend and seeing what's next for me. I have a lot of work that I need to keep doing. Thanks to everyone who follows along on this journey.

Lessons from Your Silly Race Medals

When my son built our staircase he had no idea that the end post would serve as a convenient place for me to dump my race medals.

Recently I welcomed some guests into my home and the kids asked, "What are all those medals for?" I replied, "Those are all the races I've lost." Which reminds me of a few reasons I like to race:

It is humbling. There will always be people who are faster or smarter or better looking or more accomplished than you. This is no excuse to give it less than your best. It's simply a reminder that we all have our personal strengths and weaknesses. The biggest obstacle we have to overcome is accepting our own limits. As someone who is almost always in the middle or the back of the pack, I have to remind myself not to let my ego get in the way of enjoying a race. 

It is motivating. Running with faster people will only make you faster. That's true in all of life. Want to become a better teacher? Hang out with good teachers. We learn best by example and not by watching YouTube videos. I try to tell myself after every race not to be content with the level of fitness I've achieved. We can always improve at what we do. Yes, accept who you are. But always ask, "Am I the best me possible?" Guess this is my way of saying that if we run for the challenge that's usually exactly what we get.

It is personal. I sometimes need to be reminded that people just don't really care how many miles I ran today. In fact, most people don't relate to running and races and triathlons. There is WAY more to life than sports. When I race I remind myself that I run not for medals and awards but because I love doing it. I love life too much to be tied up with all this business about winning. 

It gives you a balance between perfectionism and apathy. I love being in the middle of the pack -- fast enough to feel the strength and endurance God has given me, but slow enough to enjoy the race. If I come in dead last in my age group, so be it because I am SLOW. If I finish above last place in my age group I am deliriously happy. In the end, I compete only against myself. If I thought otherwise I would never run another race. 

Meanwhile, I try to welcome the humbling moments, as challenging as they may be.

Worried about the Water

As you all know, swimming has re-entered my life with a vengeance. I'm a good swimmer but not an excellent one by any means. Today I had a hard swim workout at the Y that really taxed me. My legs especially feel like they worked overtime. Seriously, how can one's legs feel more tired after swimming than after running? I don't get it. 

At my current pace, I figure I can swim 750 meters in about 40 minutes. Of course, once you factor in any wind-blown swells that might be in the lake as well as the possibility of getting elbowed or kicked by your fellow swimmers, that number is likely to be higher. Here's the course map for next weekend's race. 

The order is: swim, bike, run. I'm glad they do the swim first. I find biking and running way easier than swimming.

So, I go into this race with fear and trepidation. But then I remember that you'll never get anywhere in life by failing to show up because of your insecurities. Besides, doing what scares you makes you grow, right?

P.S. This week's workouts, Lord willing:

• Monday: Lift.
• Tuesday: Run.
• Wednesday: Bike.
• Thursday: Swim.
• Friday: Rest day.
• Saturday: Drive to Luray for Sunday's race.

Wish me well!

The Problem with Words

Something I heard in a sermon this morning made me take this book off my shelf:

 

The speaker insisted that wives are not to love their husbands with agape love because Tit. 2:4 says they are merely to phileo them. Where do I even start? 

Silva devotes an entire chapter of his book to a discussion of context, ambiguity, and synonymy. We will cover all three topics in my Advanced Greek Grammar class; we have to, really. We'll look at the sermon. We'll read Silva's chapter. And then we'll have a discussion of how words work. 

Obviously, Silva (and I) have a linguistic slant on these matters. Not all would agree with our approach. Which is why I'll also give the class an essay written by someone who adamantly opposes what Silva and I were trying to do in our books on linguistics. Although it's reductive, I classify approaches to New Testament exegesis as either "linguistic" or "nonlinguistic." There are dangers in both approaches, but still, in general my own teaching trends toward the former. Some of the benefits of a scientific approach are obvious: the value of discourse analysis being one example. Some of the good is less obvious, however -- like what to do when you encounter ambiguity (examples, which I tweaked, from here).

Attorney: What is your date of birth?
Witness: July 18.
Attorney: What year?
Witness: Every year.    

Attorney: What gear were you in at the moment of impact?
Witness: A Nike tank top and New Balance running shoes.

Attorney: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice that I sent to your attorney?
Witness: No, this is how I dress every day.

One thing is certain: Language rarely operates behind the tiny boundaries of unambiguous expressions. Words are sometimes messy things. Unfortunately, there's no system, no 3-easy-step approach to ensure exegetical success. As Silva (p. 9) writes about his own tome: 

It is possible for students innocent of modern linguistics to understand this book-- provided they like a challenge.

 I'm grinning at that statement. Hope you are too.

Schools of Greek Linguistics

As you know, in a week our Advanced Greek Grammar class will meet and I'm frantically getting caught up on all the reading that's required for day one. (What kind of teacher would possibly think that assigning so much work is a good idea??) This morning I finished reading Stan Porter's chapter "Linguistic Schools" in this book. 

See how I snuck in two of my books in this picture?

As expected, while he describes the various and sundry schools of thought out there, he prefers his own school (systemic functional linguistic) to all others. Here's my take in case anybody cares. There is too much truth in each of these approaches to allow us to ignore any of them. Call me an eclecticist if you like, but that's what I am. 

When I published my book Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek back in the Dark Ages, I was handily taken to task for not espousing any particular approach to Greek linguistics. Besides, what right does Dave Black have to write a book about linguistics? Well, the answer to that last question is: none. I wrote that book for one reason: I knew that studying the rudiments of linguistics could help my students become better at exegesis, and since nobody more qualified than little old moi was going to write a book on the subject, I would. 

As for the charge of not being an apologist for any particular school of thought: guilty in the first degree. Every field has something to offer us, from the South African School to the SIL School to the tagmemic folks. I hope we spend time in class discussing all this, but I don't want my students to over-think the problem or feel overwhelmed by the subject. Keeping it basic and simple is the key to progress. A few small things leads to a big thing over time. 

Please remember that you do not have to be an expert in linguistics to learn how to exegete your New Testament. But you do have to be willing to work hard -- and read a lot.

Bull Moon 5K in Durham, NC

I am so so grateful to God for last night's race in Durham. Perfect evening, warm temps, and great company. I finished 162nd out of 223 runners. Rather than blabbing about the race, I'll leave you with some pics I took along the way from start to finish. If you like the photos, don't thank me; thank my nifty new iPhone 12. 

 

 

Thank You, Kids!

 For keeping me so well supplied!

Hawaii Will Have to Wait (Again)

Until a few years ago I thought going to Hawaii annually was crazy. Who needs it? And how do you justify the cost? Then I realized that coping with Becky's passing was going to require more than pouring myself into my work. I needed something that was fun, relaxing, and a break from the routine of my everyday life. I needed a vacation. There is nothing, nothing, like being at the beach. It's a well-documented fact that "beach therapy" works to reduce stress and boost your mood. Who wouldn't benefit from a little "Vitamin Sea"?

In case you didn't know, Kailua, Hawaii is home for me. 

 

I say that knowing full well that I am only a pilgrim and a stranger on this earth. But we still have roots. I sensed this from the day I set foot on Kailua Beach a month after Becky's death. Roughly one third of all adults have made such a trip. I visited the schools I attended, the beaches I surfed at, the church I attended, the playgrounds I played basketball and volleyball at, the mountains I climbed. I was surprised by the depth of emotion I felt for my childhood home.

For the past several years I've returned home every August. 

 

But I had to cancel my trip last year, and this year my tickets were purchased and I was planning to be in Kailua this week. But it's still not a good time to be flying, and Hawaii's pandemic restrictions are still in place. Maybe next year.

Each of my trips to Oahu has allowed me to get back in touch with important parts of my past and to revisit vital lessons about life that I learned as a child and teenager. 

 

We built our home in Kailua in 1955.

In a piece called Your Hometown: Going Back to Move Forward, author James Martin writes, "I've come to accept that returning to my personal ground zero has helped me live a richer, fuller life. Going back to my home has helped me move forward." On one of my trips I couldn't wait to give a copy of It's All Greek to Me: Confessions of an Unlikely Academic to the principal of the high school I used to attend. I told her, "I just wanted you to know what Kailua High School meant to me and the role my teachers played in me becoming a professor." On another trip, I started a Greek class at a local church. 

The blurriest photo you've ever seen.

 

Kevin Akana, host pastor.

I think the best part about being in Hawaii is the beach. The sounds and visuals of the ocean are simply so soothing and peaceful. You can stay on the shore and read. 

 

 

You can jet ski.

 

You can paddle with your buddies at the Windward Kai Canoe Club.

 

Or you can go out and surf or body surf. 

 

One of my fondest memories of these trips is standing in the pouring rain and loving every minute of it. As I get older, such simple pleasures mean more and more to me. It's when I'm surrounded by the beauty of God's creation that I feel most at peace.

I am now staring at a new semester that begins next Thursday. I honestly don't think I've been more excited to be back in the classroom. I may not have been able to get back to my home in Hawaii this month, but I feel refreshed and ready to go. If you can't get to the beach, a quiet and secluded farm does just fine, thank you Lord. Last week a group of elders retreated here. Another group will be coming soon. As you can see, getting away has endless benefits. 

But nothing can match home.