Preparation and Providence

One of the purposes of this blog, besides to be a medium for continued contact with us, is to help people keep up with how things are going with us and have a connection to what we are doing and what prayers we need (if only each of you would also write a blog so we know how to pray for you now). It has been an interesting week and in this post I want to share a little about what has been happening with us and share some of my reflections about these events. If you are not interested in reading further, the summary is that it is quite amazing how dependence on God’s grace in necessary not only for our salvation, but also for our service to God, and in our case, even in preparation for service to God.

It has hit me this week how we are just over two months away from moving to Belfast. That alone is enough to set people with a nervous tendency, such as myself, deeply on edge. What is more than that is that we are still trying to get our visas together and living arrangements in order. The main reason behind still trying to get this set is that the school is still dealing with first semester student issues and has not yet been able to process my info.

The first thing I would like to say here is that we would very much appreciate your prayers as we wait for the school to send us the necessary documents to finish our visa applications. In addition, although we have already received a very gracious offer to stay with someone who lives about an hour from Belfast, we would also really like to get more permanent living arrangements in place. Your prayers would also be appreciated regarding this.

The Lord has seen us a long way from the beginnings of considering further study at Queen’s until now. He has continually opened doors along the way, sometimes right at the moment that I am ready to give up. We fully trust that He will see us through these last minute details regarding travel and stay…but in line with the topic of this post, it is clear He will not do this apart from our dependence on Him to go before us.

When I was in seminary, one of the things that struck me towards the end was that, as a committed Protestant, I believe deeply in the principle of by grace alone through faith alone. Although my relationship to the seminary was a covenant of works, whereby my standing was based upon my performance, my relationship with God was still one of the covenant of grace. As much as we must lean on the grace of God to see us grow in holiness, I am now convinced that it is just as necessary to lean on the grace of God to grow us in preparation for the ministry. Preparation for the ministry is indeed an aspect of sanctification for those who are preparing for ministry.

In my case, I very much see my impending doctoral studies as preparation for ministry. In fact, if I saw it any other way, I would walk away from it now. When I am in the midst of those studies, I am sure there will be ways in which I must whole heartedly depend on the mercy of God to see me through; in sustaining my mind, my discipline, my energy, in equipping me to meet the standards of scholarship.

The odd thing is that even now, however, Sarah and I are finding we still must depend on the Lord as we prepare for formal preparation for ministry. The travel arrangements, the waiting for visas, the anxiety of living arrangements, these are all areas where we are learning to pray and to trust the Lord to provide. There is only so much we can do until we are dependent on someone else to respond. This has pointed me to how there is literally nothing I can do until I am dependent on the Lord to work in or for me. He must go before us and prepare the way, as He has done and will do. He must open doors for us.

Later this week marks the 498th anniversary of the event that is credited for sparking the Protestant Reformation. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted the Ninety-Five Theses on the door of Wittenberg Castle. As I reflect here on how God must open doors for us to serve Him and we must depend totally upon Him to provide in His good providence, I am reminded of the historical significance of this week (I am a doctoral student in history after all). Luther championed the doctrines of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Just as God is the one who will open doors for His people, He is also the One who opens hearts so that others will become His people. Just as His people are called to depend on Him for every aspect of life, He invites others to totally depend on Him for eternal life, as I hope each of you have or will now.

He will provide visas and living arrangements. He already has provided forgiveness of sins in the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. How will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

Soli Deo Gloria

Harrison