Post 41 – The 2012 Update

Van Minutes

Dear friends and family,

I hope you all had a wonderful, restful Christmas. I miss a lot of you far away ones…

I don’t know about you, but when there are events in one’s life that are beyond you, your understanding, your ‘ability’ to solve the problem, to power through it on your own, I mean really beyond you, I find that songs and movies, and scriptures, can sometimes express those experiences like no email or letter can. Scholars say that one of Tolkien’s motivations for Lord of the Rings was to make sense of the apocalypse-like tragedy of World War I and the loss there of two of his good friends. King David wrote some pretty good stuff when he was down; a Redeemer University professor bequeathed to me the heart emptying passion of Psalm 13 that I’ve never forgotten from my times of overwhelming health struggle in 1999/2000. I think it’s a natural thing to turn to art to try and capture, process and share about moments in your life that are bigger than you’ll ever be. I’ve had the chance to finally have a real (Christmas) break to think deeply about all the geographical, vocational, emotional and as well the marital issues between Karin and I, and I did what I’ve done before in times like this – started clinging to song, movie and scripture to make sense of it.

I’ve worked out to this WOW Hits 2011 song since I discovered it before my Christmas break started. Identifying with this song from Sanctus Real had the benefit laid out clearly in the lyrics, almost like a paved road that I too could walk on after the band.

I’m Not Alright by Sanctus Real (lyric highlights below)

I’m not alright, I’m broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to You, it leads me to You

Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
’til everything I hide behind is gone
And when I’m open wide with nothing left to cling to
Only You are there to lead me on.

‘Cause honestly, I’m not that strong…

… that’s why I need You.

The lyrics and the tone of the song are really a very good way to describe the lows of how I have been doing. But God is gracious. It really didn’t end there. It never does when you deal with grace. The Tenth Avenue North song that came along really closely on the heals of Sanctus Real, you could say providentially. Another road to walk on:

You Are More by Tenth Avenue North

Chorus:

You are more than the choices that you’ve made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You’ve been remade.

‘Cause this is not about what you’ve done,
But what’s been done for you.
This is not about where you’ve been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.…

You’ve been remade…

There are more songs but that’s representative. (By the way, I recommend WOW Hits 2011.) I go back to work tomorrow. The holidays with respect to marriage were a difficult road. We’re not to the end of this story yet and we still don’t know where it will end. (We are still communicating.) But God is also very very good. I’m not that strong, I’m not alright, but what Jesus Christ felt to forgive me and show his love for me – the weight of this glory – makes the worst of the worst seem really and truly ‘light and momentary.’ (2 Cor 4:17) I understand now that when the apostle Paul said that, he earned the right. Often times my troubles and their fallout are for not following God, many of Paul’s came from witnessing for Christ, and he could still say that. He earned the right to tell me “there, there it’ll be alright,” and I’m listening.

Maybe this sounds cheap or trite to someone reading. Well, pardon my unusual newsletter rudeness, but I don’t care what you think. I believe in this sort thing for real, or I may as well forsake the 3 years in seminary, dump Jesus and move on to the next god. You know that Christ and Him resurrected is a gift of faith handed down from heaven when you have no earthly reason left to hold on. The glory and grace of this Jesus is not only sufficient but surpassing. You can’t even weigh it against what you’re going through. It. Doesn’t. Compare.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…”

I see the word “prepare” in there. God makes even my afflictions prepare good things for me. That’s the kind of thinking that stops me from going nuts and whispers to me “get back up and walk on.” That’s the kind of sovereign King whose kingdom I’m pleased to labor in.

I’m teaching this year and saving money for the future. It’s tough and requiring patience I didn’t think I had. I want long term answers I don’t have. But who does really? But God has given me students to influence, one of whom is not Christian but started reading her Bible. God has given me a calling as I heard in church today from Acts 1:8 (as if Hendricks wasn’t enough, my DTS friends!) God has blessed me in little and big ways consistently over the year, even though people have begun their observations of my year with “I just can’t imagine how hard…” I have learned again to pray earnestly, “that adversity be a good teacher and that his student isn’t a fool.” I must be getting on with my Sunday rest now for the day ahead. As usual, please send your messages, encouragements and questions, requests for elaboration. I can’t say everything you want to know, because I can’t read your mind. Thanks so much for your prayers.

Would you dare, would you dare, to believe,
that you still have a reason to sing,
’cause the pain you’ve been feeling,
can’t compare to the joy that’s coming…

…it’s just the dark before the morning!

Josh Wilson – Before the Morning

 

Van Minutes Toronto update

Van Minutes

Hello everyone,

I promised a number of people, especially back in Dallas, a quarterly update at minimum if I wasn’t writing them personally. Even for those of you who have emailed me in the last week, thanks for your patience and here’s the update!

First the main issue. I appreciate the prayers, questions, concern, repeat, concerning me, Karin and our marriage. There are really no new developments as far as divorce or reconciliation that have happened between us. I have been emailing and we did exchange a few times, but nothing I could call news has happened. I hope for a resolution soon, but really that’s all I can tell you. If you email or call I may be able to provide a little more background of why things are how they are from my end, but we are still separated and have not spoken (just emailed) since the one time in May.

Am I okay? Yes and no. I had five needs/goals coming back: church, job, family,  house, counseling. God has blessed me with a good church in Knox Presbyterian downtown Toronto (2 pics on right). I didn’t have to do any church hunting thankfully and I am looking forward to joining a cell group and possibly the ESL outreach in September. I need to see about the job situation (below) first. God has blessed me with a really good living situation in Toronto. Room, board, utilities some nice landlords to eat dinner with (the wife is a committed, helpful Christian) and now free underground parking for a practically unbeatable price. I walk a lot (sunset building pic from one of them) and love hitting the nearby beach regularly to watch the sun go down over the CN tower and pray there on the shore.

This place is a fifteen minute drive from my new job! I went through a one-year English as a Second Language (ESL) course crammed into a 4-week intensive course in a bid to get into teaching where I’d like to be. This idea worked – I am now a Canada Christian College ESL professor! I am not going overseas, but on September 12 they’re coming to me (pic on right: nearby Chinatown @ U of T). My position couldn’t be a better one: I was hoping for some kind of large language institute at best. God again blessed me with a wonderful academic Christian environment teaching college students who are about to go into ministry! Talk about appropriate, or the blind leading the blind I will get a chance to guide these young people also, much like my college profs did to me.

My family has supported me as families do – in the most important ways. God has blessed my darkest times with rays of light due to their support. Special mention to Stephen, a college friend. The way we have talked, it’s like I never left, buddy. The last thing I need to arrange is the counseling which will be payed for by my first paycheck. I start work on September 12, so I’m looking for a counselor now. If I go by God’s most recent track record of blessing me then this will work out just fine too.

I supposed that’s the ‘yes’ part of ‘yes and no.’ I’m still quite lonely, need to make new connections in every last corner of my unexpectedly new and regularly difficult life. Sometimes I wake up and wonder either where I am or sometimes how I am doing this well. I have fought with and prayed to the same God. I’ve sweated over the price of some of my learned lessons, and whether I learned them enough. I suppose that’s to be expected.

I do have some idea why I’m not doing worse. I keep hearing voices… good ones. Voices like Chuck Swindoll in chapel saying, “Don’t give up. Satan is targeting you, finish (ministry) strong.” Or of family giving a compliment, or friends saying, “I’m praying, how’s your time in the Word?” These are people inspired by our gracious God. He’s the one who never quits. He’s the one who always invites you back. It does sound like bible thumping but “I know what plans I have for you, says the Lord,” is no less true for me than it was written by Jeremiah to Israel. I know whom I have believed and he is able… this transcends (m)any feelings I’ve had to the contrary. I love my God but more importantly for my ultimate end He loves me.

I must get going. Feel free to drop a note and say hello, ask a question, give a blessing. I would like that, even if it’s just a line or two.

God bless,

Dan

 

Van Minutes’ Final DTS update

Van Minutes

Hello friends, family and supporters,

I am sitting at the Dallas Arboretum right now on a perfect sunny day. I always like the flowers, ponds, green plants and the view. I came here to write to you the last DTS update for our VanMinutes blog. I dreamed of a day where the last DTS update would read, “We made it to graduation!” We would share what’s coming up and so on. But there won’t be such an update. Because their may no longer be a “we.”

Be patient with me as I write a very difficult thing: Karin and I are separating, and the way things stand as of Thursday when she visited here for her things, we will be filing for divorce as fast as is convenient. I will be living in Canada in two weeks, working out what comes next. I’m starting at my brothers house and going from there. I hope in the short term to get a job and an apartment. The where has complicating factors and I want the best solution.

Even folks who have heard this already are still shocked. Sorry to those who just found out by this update. We’ve been to counseling most of the year, and I have kept about 17-18 people pretty well informed especially this semester and it has exhausted me. I just can’t do that for everyone I know. Profs have been very understanding as this unfolded during crunch time. I am looking forward to seeing many of the Canadians receiving this update in the near future.

Since this is an update and not coffee at your house I can’t satiate all your concern driven curiosity. But I will say I’m crushed. I will also say I desire reconciliation. My goal is not to come home and burn bridges, whine and self destruct. I say that so the folks who love me will help me out if possible and keep me focused on my goals: getting personal support/healing and reconciliation. I cannot say much more about the future because I really don’t know much more. I don’t have the implications all neatly worked out, especially for vocation. This situation impacts that greatly. The dean did offer comfort by telling me it is not necessarily over as far as DTS is concerned. That depends, just as it did when I came in the first place, on how I conduct myself. Whether or not I actually will ever be ready/want to come back to finish, well, we must for now leave that in the “really don’t know much more” category.

I just read John 14-17 before writing this to you, one of my favorite passages of Jesus speech in the Upper Room discourse. The first verse says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” The last, “I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you [Father] have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Because of this three-in-one God we have I can respect the statement coming from Jesus, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” It’s not empty advice coming from him. With the spirit he promised to send in his place, He can back that up with serious firepower. I really believe that this truth can help both of us with our most troubled hearts.

For the Americans, I’m leaving may 26th if you want to say good bye. I will miss you and the DTS community. It is a unique place that means a lot to me.

I’m signing off, I appreciate your prayers for us as the next year unfolds.

Love,
Dan

 

Van Minutes update April

Van Minutes

Hello again everyone,

I hope this update comes to you feeling less frazzled than I am! The semester is almost at an end. In three weeks I will be done permanently with Hebrew! I wasn’t the first DTS student to say that, probably three quarters of them do. My ex-Hebrew classmate Parker told me last fall with a big smile, “Dan, I got done my Hebrew over the summer!” I was somewhat envious that he waved good-bye to Hebrew 8 months before I did. But in the blink of an eye here comes my turn also. I will also be mostly trained for the teaching element of my degree. This gives me some proficiency at constructing lessons, choosing lesson aims, teaching theory and practice and so on. It feels a little ‘fake’ in a classroom workshop but it does help. Preaching class is fun,  but I don’t believe I am that good at delivery yet. I think I understand sermon construction though. We also finished up a 2 hour Gospels class last week. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are such familiar material, I thought. There is plenty to learn about each and plenty of questions that will keep me busy for decades. As tired as we get finishing up, life still generally does go too fast. It seems like yesterday sometimes, that I entered university. It was 15 years ago. I’m already 35 now (birthday pics of mom/my birthday on right). And so much blessing has gone with that…

I wrote about ‘eternal security’ the other day for soteriology (salvation) class which I shared with Karin and that ended up comforting me in real life – fancy that! So I share an excerpt now with you:

“Either Christ is our savior, or we deny that all things are in him and de facto confess, ‘Jesus is not a complete [i.e. to the end] savior.’ (Heidelberg Catechism) As our prophet, Christ revealed God’s will for our redemption, as priest Christ continues to pray for the believers whom the Father has sent him, and as king, Jesus ‘preserves us in that salvation.’(Westminster Confession).”

This is eternal security. It is a truth confessed by St. Augustine, the Reformers all over Europe in their confessional statements, in Calvin, Bavinck, Berkhof, to the nineteenth century Baptists, John Owen defended this in “The Death of Death in the Death of Christ,” J.I. Packer defended it in his famous essays. This is the substance of the tradition passed down from the saints. This hope and it’s function in the church was passed from our prof to us students. Salvation class just kept me hopeful all semester through the ups and downs that Jesus really, as they say in modern times, ‘has your back.’

I like best how he says it himself: “No one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)

We will share more about the upcoming year in our next newsletter when we have a bit more time! God bless.

Dan Van Minnen

 

Van Minutes 2011

Van Minutes

Hello and Happy 2011 friends and supporters,

Jesus before all. That’s how I started my semester, listening to a podcast sermon (iTunes, Mars Hill Church: Mark Driscoll Audio 8/22/10) on one of the most key passages in Luke (9:51 and following). This is where Jesus began his long journey to Jerusalem. He ‘set his face’ toward it. He knew he was going to die, and he knew why.

On his way (a number of weeks, with a sizable group) Jesus challenges a series of people who would follow him not to put him second in their life. They would follow him, but after racial/ethnic ties (the Samaritans in 52-5) after comfort/security issues were solved (57-8), or after family ties (59-61) The man who said ‘let me bury my father’ most likely still had a living father, or else he would be hosting the week long funeral ceremonies at the time and not talking to Jesus. He most likely wanted to follow Jesus in a few months or years, when his Jewish parents, who conceivably would disagree with his new religious direction, were gone. “I would follow Jesus, but just after…” just isn’t good enough.

This is an insidious attitude that can get to all of us, especially seminary students. We can in varying degrees let the work of seminary trump the reason for seminary. I bought into some of that. If statistics are any indication, then various people reading this have put their best work (or something less noble) before the Jesus they’re supposedly living life for. “Jesus, just let me get this assignment done, that project, that business deal for my family, then I’ll really get serious.” A subtle move from completing work as a genuine expression of following him. One invigorates, the other evaporates you. Like Peter looking away from Jesus and sinking, even though he was the rock of the church. The best of us can use a regular re-focusing.

This may sound like the random musings of an idiot but bear with me, it’s the rationale for why we Christians act like Christ-ians, why we came to Dallas, and a great reason for an update to our supporters.

My five classes – Hebrew, Preaching II, Soteriology (how one is saved), Education Process, and Gospels – my internship, and Karin’s growth opportunities with women’s ministry and volunteering and church position for grad requirements are all before us and I am even excited about Hebrew class! But they’re not really why we’ve come here. Or future security, or job opportunities, or family standing, or ethnic respect/identity. We could lose all those arguably good things following him. (Many new Christians do lose all these things.) We’re here in a concerted effort to set our faces toward Jesus as he set his face toward Jerusalem, the cross, and new life. I am attending seminary to see God use me to teach and preach to others such that the way forward may be made plain to them. I hope (and am training and seeking opportunities) to give those who have never heard such things a chance to hear them, just like Jesus to the Palestinian Jews and Romans of his day. Jesus never said the way was wide and easy with a steady paycheck (he was a tradesman turned homeless guy – Lk 9:58) He said it was narrow and to, “take up [your] cross daily” (Lk 9:23). Swindoll said it well in chapel on Tuesday, “let’s make no mistake, the cross is an instrument of death, not a cute decoration. To give you the correct impact, it’s kind of like saying take up your lethal injection and follow me.”

As paradoxical as it may seem on the surface, this sort of sacrificial living is the best of all possible worlds. Whenever I appropriate this truth in my life rightly, seminary (or anything else) becomes exciting all over again. I am really looking forward to all the spring has for us.

I strongly believe that whatever we had to give up because of Jesus pales in comparison to what we gain in him by keeping him first. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” We can believe it. Wisdom is to live it. (A work in progress.) To pursue Jesus before all was what God convicted me to sharpen, so I made it my motto for Spring 2011. I believe and confess that “follow me” is our best life now, above all the world can offer.

We have a few prayer requests/thanks for you to consider:

-Our car had a few more starting issues. This is a praise because a confusing problem was finally (since Oct) solved and a request that the old girl stays running in general.

-Karin is in Canada working at the family business. I am sure you can imagine the pluses and minuses as we do: please pray that our situation has less minuses and more pluses: like being together again (Feb 2), a strong relationship and finances to continue to the completion of my studies in 2012

-please pray for Karin to have a smooth transition back and joyful time when she returns here in February. The seminary wives put up with a lot for the sake of this time of training. Pray that she will receive God’s blessing for her life and professional future also.

-my health seems pretty stable having worked with the doc to drop my puffer in half. This puffer was causing arrhythmia & strong heartbeat, nosebleeds, among other side effects I need to live without. I have not felt the arrhythmia and strong heartbeat anymore. This is very good long term. Pray for that long term stability

-clarity as I choose my master’s thesis topic

God bless in the new year,

the Van Minnens

 

DTS Van Minutes update

Van Minutes

Hello everyone! We hope this update finds you healthy and looking forward to Christmas. I know that we are. Three more days and a bit until we leave for Canada on a jet plane, for family, friends and snow! I get to wear a winter jacket again! (Karin already is) People make fun because I often don’t wear a jacket when walking to the library or class. They say this must be like ‘summer’ to me. 6C is not summer Karin has gone to over 4 women’s group Christmas parties and has made a whack of cookies for one of them. We are really getting in the mood for Christmas. We are very much looking forward to just hanging out for 3 weeks in Canada and enjoying the relationships with y’all. Also, Karin’s 30th birthday is just around the corner! I won’t mention it (since Facebook probably told you) but the number starts with a 3 now. Good thing 40 is the new 30. Wish her happy birthday!

I got the chance to travel to Atlanta just around American thanksgiving to attend the Evangelical Theological Society meetings again this year. A generous friend helped with my travel and accomodations after I backed out of driving over concerns with our car and money in general. He had not gone before and was quite excited to have me along to chat with him about it. The topic this year was “Justification by Faith” and one of the leading proponents of the “New Perspective on Paul,” N.T. Wright, was there with Rob Schreiner and Frank Thielman for a lively panel on the issue. N.T. Wright has kind of smacked the beehive in the evangelical world over this topic, so it was pretty lively discussion. For those who are interested in justification issues, and Judaism in the Second Temple period (the reason why Wright has a ‘new’ perspective) I have leads on some reading, from 1o minutes worth to monster treatments, if you are interested. All in all an over-stimulating conference with 2600 of the world’s leading evangelical theologians, profs and writers.

It’s been a challenging wrap up of the fall semester on many levels: academic but also personal, spiritual and health. Having Karin gone , deciding what I want from my thesis, an earlier major medicine adjustment and, I believe, spiritual trial have all played a part in this being a challenging time. I believe that Satan does not want me or the rest of us students here, training to bring truth to the ends of the earth. He hates our aims here, and he will try through constant accusation (Rev 12:10) and temptation to convince us students it’s not worth doing anymore. It’s the first thing  that happened to Jesus, immediately after God said he was pleased with Jesus and he began his ministry (Matt 4:1).  Jesus was tempted to throw in the towel in the desert, it wasn’t pretend since he was God anyway. I think I understand that on a deeper level now, and I’m glad my Jesus went through it first for all of us. We talk about this in class, chapel, the women’s groups and with friends. We have been encouraged to lean on some people here for prayer, encouragement and council and have done that. It works, because God gave us the church body as a gift of his grace. We really appreciate the benefits some of those good godly people here have on the both of us.

Well, we will see you soon unless you live here in Dallas, then we’ll, uh, see you less soon!

God bless all of you and thanks for those among you sticking it out with us in prayer and financial support. We don’t forget and are very grateful.

Love,

Dan and Karin

 

Van Minutes Thanksgiving Special

Thanksgiving Van Minutes

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

I know that by the time many of you Canadians read this you will be in a tryptophan (turkey) induced coma, perhaps with many side dishes, desserts, and wine added. So I altered the format of this months update to include more video for your reading pleasure!

It starts with a tour of the construction project underway on our apartment Swiss Tower. Haddon Robinson makes an appearance. If you don’t know who that is, your pastor probably does. His book Biblical Preaching is one of the most widely used books on preaching. He is one of the most gifted teachers of preaching in the world. For more than a snippet, his chapel messages are available at www.dts.edu, on the bottom right.

I confess, I mainly did the video for Karin. Karin is hard at work in Canada (until the 26th), helping support us financially and visiting family after the wedding. This video is to show what’s going on ‘back home.’ I am thankful that Karin would sacrifice like this so that we can make ends meet and keep the pressure off you, our wonderful supporters. Paul mentions doing the same (2 Cor 11) so that he didn’t have to burden the Corinthians. We like to do that, as much as we are able, for you also.

There is so much to be thankful for. I really feel that way. I just told someone after my Water is Basic 5k race this morning that at one time I couldn’t even breathe and now I’m running 5k races. I’m so thankful for Karin. I am even thankful for Hebrew. I hope this letter finds you thanking the Lord for something/someone too this Thanksgiving.

Anyway, enjoy “Thanksgiving video” to the right (it’s available in HD 720p if your connection speed allows), God bless you all, especially our family as you enjoy Thanksgiving.