After completing teaching for another semester on Thursday, I entered a weekend of considerable diversity. Friday morning I led the funeral of Jeanette Berman, aged 97, a lifelong church member who died very suddenly. She remembered as a young child riding to church in the winter on a sleigh!

From there I went to Calvin Seminary where I spoke on “Puritan Preparatory Grace” for the Graduate Historical Colloquium. Rev. Paul Smalley assisted me with the Q&A session that followed. (Some of those that lingered for fellowship are shown in the attached photograph.)

Fellowship after the Colloquium at Calvin Seminary

Then there was a hospital visit to see the new baby of one of our theological students. On Saturday, I officiated the wedding of Matthew Glutting and Kimberly Westrate (Kim is both a member of our church and an employee of PRTS).

Sunday I preached on Revelation 7 and administered our church’s quarterly Lord’s Supper—always a special day. But this time it was a bit nostalgic because I last preached on this text for my father’s funeral nearly twenty years ago, and it was also my 60th birthday and 26^th anniversary as a pastor in our church.

Today, my wife and I hosted a farewell dinner for the PRTS students that are leaving us in the next few weeks after the completion of this semester to minister in their home countries. They hail from Brazil, Korea, Malawi, and South Africa.

Dinner with Departing PRTS International Families

Such is life: birth, marriage, birthday, anniversary, Lord’s Supper, lecturing, death, burial, farewell—in one weekend. Solomon was right: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to…” (Eccl. 3:1–2).

Are you prepared for life’s diversity—especially for its end?

Today, I was walking home from the seminary for lunch when I caught our new academic dean, Dr. Michael Barrett, an avid hunter, doing a few minutes of target practice on his lunch break. He missed the bull’s eye by an inch!

Dr. Barrett has been a great blessing for us already in his first weeks on the job. Please continue to pray for him and Sandra as they adjust to Michigan and the seminary community.

Today I began teaching for the 2012-2013 school year at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. I have 36 students in my Soteriology class—the study of salvation. What a joy they are to teach! They are from 14 different countries and more than 20 denominations. You can see here how they are crammed into our largest classroom. We can’t wait for our much-needed building expansion. So far, we have received $1.8 million in gifts and pledges. We have $1 million to go (the 18,000 square feet expansion will cost about $2.8 million). We need another $300,000 before we can begin building. If you, or friends you know, are vitally interested in seeing solidly Reformed preaching spread around the globe, please consider helping us close this gap now. You can donate and/or pledge by contacting Chris Hanna (616-977-0599 x138) or going here.

We are days away from this year’s Puritan Reformed Conference (August 23–25, at Calvin Prince Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan), and I cannot express how excited we are about this year’s theme, The Beauty and Glory of the Father.

Spurgeon once said, “Nothing will so enlarge the intellect and magnify the whole soul of man as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the whole subject of the Trinity. The proper study of the Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls the Father.”

Here are the topics and speakers:

—Jerry Bilkes, Father and Son in the Exodus (Hos.11:1, etc.)

—Derek Thomas, The Holiness of the Father in the Old Testament and Seeing the Father in the Face of Jesus (Jn.14:9)

—Bart Elshout, The Father’s Love for His Son (Jn.3:35)

—Burk Parsons, The Father’s Beautiful Hand of Blessed Chastisement (Heb.12:4-13)

—Ryan McGraw – The Need for a Trinitarian Piety

—Joel Beeke, The Apostle John and the Puritans on the Father’s Adopting, Transforming Love

—William VanDoodewaard, The Father’s Mercy (1Pet.1:3-5)

Breakout Sessions:

• David Murray, Counseling and the Fatherhood of God
• Burk Parsons, The Glory of the Father in the High-Priestly Prayer of Christ (Jn.17)
• Paul Smalley, Richard Sibbes on the Mercy and Faithfulness of the Father
• William VanDoodewaard, Your Father in Heaven (Mt.5-7)

If you have not signed up for the conference, please do so now. Whether it is the entire conference or just one day, you will not want to miss this wonderful opportunity to learn more about God, the Father. Whether you are young or old, single or married, you will not want to miss this year’s conference. Call Chris Hanna at the seminary soon to register. He may be reached at 616.977.0599 ext.138. You may also register online, or at the door. The entire three-day event is only $90 per person; a one-day registration is just $30 per person and you can even mix and match your sessions.