The Center for Biblical Spirituality
Christmas Newsletter
from the Don Whitney Family

Christmas greetings from the Whitney family! Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

We might not have been smiling so big if this photo had been taken just after our basement flooded at the end of November. We came home from a long trip, and as I brought a load of things from the car and took them downstairs, I walked onto a cold, very squishy carpet. In the Lord's providence, we arrived home just before the ankle deep water in one end of the basement began to reach the half where most of my library is located. But the disruption has been the worst of it. I'm surrounded now by 100 boxes of books, all of which have to be moved to the garage soon for the renovation work to be completed.

The worst part of the disruption relates to my efforts to finish an enormous writing project. I'd asked you earlier to pray for my November 30 deadline. Well, I didn't make it. Now the deadline is February 28. I'd be grateful for any prayer you'd remember to offer—even as you read this—for the completion of this project.

While I'm grading papers with one hand and working on this writing project with the other, Caffy is wrapping up the art class she's teaching this year in a Christian school. Next semester she'll also be teaching "Personal Spiritual Disciplines" to a class of student wives at the seminary. The most fun she's had lately—other than the flooded basement (ha) —was singing with a group of friends (the Contes and McClurgs for those of you who know them) at the local Barnes & Noble.

Boy, did I mess up in the last newsletter. I accidentally typed a "1" instead of a "2", which meant that I mentioned that Laurelen would be turning 11 on December 16 instead of the 26th. The newsletter hadn't been sent out an hour before I was corrected by a subscriber. Believe me, no one who lives at this address could ever be mistaken about the significance of December 26. Here's a photo of her that was sent to us a few days ago. We think she was about three, and it was taken in front of a manger scene made of cookies.

We were blessed in our family worship time recently by reading A Token for Children by James Janeway and Cotton Mather (Soli Deo Gloria publishers). This was the best-selling children's book in America in the 1600s, 1700s, and early 1800s. It contains the story of several children who were converted, some shortly before death. Although each child in the book eventually dies at the end of its chapter, it's not a sad or grim book. Many had some of the most glorious deathbed scenes I've ever read. I don't know that any other book has had such an impact on Laurelen. While reading such dated language, I sometimes had to edit on the fly, but she had no trouble with the language, even when she was the one reading aloud. No other book we've read as a family has (1) made the Gospel so evidently a message for children as well as adults, and (2) made it so plain that children, too, may die and should prepare for death while young, and (3) made a relationship with God by children so winsome and attractive to children. If you're interested, call Audubon Press at 800-405-3788 about it, and tell them you read about it here.

Just last week we finished another enjoyable book about the piety of a child, Mary Jones and Her Bible. The language of this true account is also a bit dated, but it is a sweet story and is great for impressing children with the preciousness of the Bible. An adult could read it quickly and condense it into a good story useful in a variety of situations.

While I'm making recommendations, I have really come to appreciate Max McLean's recorded readings of the Bible. Early in 2004 I listened to his reading of the NIV, and now he's just released his recording of the ESV. He calls it The Listener's Bible. I've written a review of this project on the "Articles" page of the website (www.BiblicalSpirituality.org). I play several chapters from The Listener's Bible for my seminary students to help them appreciate the power of the Word of God read well. You can find out more from Max's website, www.ListenersBible.com. If you're interested in buying a copy (and you can even get it segments, such as the OT, NT, Psalms & Proverbs, etc.), it's available on Max's website, or through Audubon Press at 800-405-3788 (tell them I sent you), or wherever you order books.

Here's a bulletin insert many found helpful last year when gathering with family or others during Christmas season. Many of us struggle to make conversation at Christmas gatherings, whether church events, work-related parties, neighborhood drop-ins, or annual family occasions. Sometimes our difficulty lies in having to chat with people we rarely see or have never met. At other times we simply don't know what to say to those with whom we feel little in common. Moreover, as Christians we want to take advantage of the special opportunities provided by the Christmas season to share our faith, but are often unsure how to begin. Here's a list of questions designed not only to kindle a conversation in almost any Christmas situation, but also to take the dialogue gradually to a deeper level. Use them in a private conversation or as a group exercise, with believers or unbelievers, with strangers or with family. To read or download the bulletin insert, Ten Questions to Ask at a Christmas Gathering, go to the homepage and click on "Bulletin Inserts."

If you want to think ahead to the Sunday after Christmas, here’s a reminder that there’s also a bulletin insert on Ten Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year at the "Bulletin Inserts" button on the website.

We thank the Lord for each other, for family and friends, and for you who pray for us. Thanks to those who sent financial support to the Center for Biblical Spirituality in this first year of organization. These are all gifts from Him "who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17). Most of all, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift," the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 9:15). May the Lord greatly bless you this Christmas season!

"Tex" Taffeta (a.k.a. "The Cat in the Hat"), says "Merry Christmas!" and "Goodbye" from the Whitneys. (If you think she's cute, make me an offer at www.BiblicalSpirituality.org—but don't tell Caffy and Laurelen.)