Continuity and Enrichment

About a month ago I came across seminary level teaching online from Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, Mo.
http://www.covenantseminary.edu
Each course has audio lectures and usually study guides, and in most cases transcripts and a syllabus. I have appreciated Francis Shaeffer’s writing and perspective so it was especially enjoyable to listen to Jerram Barrs, founder of thee London L’ABri teach two courses: The Early Years of Francis Schaeffer and The Later Years of Francis Schaeffer. While I may not agree with all of their theology, it has been a good enrichment learning experience. As a technological side-note, my usual practice is to download the audio files, then use an open source mp3 ID3 tag editor, MP3BookHelper, to label the ID3tags with a common album and author title, and label each track, then load them on my video iPod (the old model with a 30GB drive). This way I can carry the lectures with me, plug my iPod into an installed device in our car that plays directly through the radio and has a stereo plug that I can plug into my iPod, or I can use my portable speakers for night listening, or use my air tube ear piece listening device (to avoid transmitting RF into my brain area).
Site for MP3BookHelper is at:
http://sourceforge.net/search/?type_of_search=soft&words=mp3bookhelper


Francis Schaeffer’s perspective that we in the Western World have lost our way as has Europe, a perspective that he communicated in the 1970's is still relevant and proven true.
Key books are: He Is There And He Is Not Silent
The God Who is There
Escape From Reason
then his video series, How Should We Then live with the book of the same title. The book is largely a transcript of the video series. An especially significant and prophetic statement is made on page 224 (1976paperback edition), “If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute. Society is left with one man or an elite filling the vacuum left by the loss of the Christian consensus which originally gave us form and freedom in its way, and rule is based upon arbitrary absolutes handed down by that elite.”

Dottie and I have also continued to listen to Ken Boa, now in a series called Relational Spirituality. You will find his teach series at his web site
http://www.kenboa.org/audio_and_video/mp3teaching?series=30

Much of the content in this series is out of his book, Conformed to His Image, a book that I have previously recommended. Ken Boa is a rich teacher. He sustained me through three neurosurgeries and more.

I am up early today, (5:40 am) and feeling good so far. I am interested in seeing of today brings continuity from yesterday. Yesterday was a delightful celebration of Jesus’ birth with our four kids, two sons-in-love, daughter-in-love, grandson, and granddaughter. We finished the day with gratefulness for God, His blessing, grace, our enriching relationship and the joy of our kids and grandkids. God has been good, gracious, and kind.