We just finished our conference on Puritan spirituality with Dr. Stephen Yuille on Saturday. As is often the case, we have a Q&A in Sunday School with the visiting speaker. So sticking with the routine, we started our Sunday in the same way.
I asked Stephen, a Canadian who is pastoring in Texas, about life and ministry there. He shared the amazing story of adopting his youngest daughter from China (the story is in his book A Hope Deferred: Adoption and the Fatherhood of God).
The funny moment in the interview was when I asked Stephen about the practice of hunting feral hogs in Texas.
We also discussed the challenges faced by churches in Texas, as well as the prospects for theological education in Canada. Stephen is taking a new position at Heritage Theological Seminary as VP of Academics.
In the main service, Stephen preached from Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”. The message was blessed by the Spirit, as we engaged in what Stephen had earlier described as the Puritan practice of “public meditation” on God’s Word.
Afterwards, Christel, myself and our sons took Stephen to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. We were worried that the cold clouds would obscure our view. But as we drove west and the mountains rose up, the fog parted and the brilliant sun shone through the blue sky on the crisp white towers.
We toured Canmore but it was cold in the sunshine (- 20 degrees Celsius). Surely it was a reminder for Stephen about Canadian winters, but we knew he would return for his warm Texas reprieve.
How humbling to see the towering Rockies and know that God is our mighty fortress who will last when they are gone. And so he and he alone is our true hope.